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Tuesday, December 27, 2011
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Top-Performing U.S.-Listed Chinese Stocks (Dec 27, 2011)
Below are the latest top-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stocks. VanceInfo
Technologies Inc.(ADR) (NYSE:VIT) is the best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese
stock on Dec. 27. It was up 6.7% on the day. VITs upside potential is 93.4%
based on brokerage analysts average target price of $18.24. It is trading at
24.8% of its 52-week high of $37.99, and 52.3% above its 52-week low of $6.19.
Renren Inc (NYSE:RENN) is the second best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock
on Dec. 27. It was up 2.4% on the day. RENNs upside potential is 122.2% based on
brokerage analysts average target price of $7.62. It is trading at 14.3% of its
52-week high of $24.00, and 6.9% above its 52-week low of $3.21. 7 DAYS GROUP
HOLDINGS LIMITED(ADR) (NYSE:SVN) is the third best-performing U.S.-listed
Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was up 2.0% on the day. SVNs upside potential is
109.1% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $24.03. It is trading
at 47.9% of its 52-week high of $24.00, and 5.3% above its 52-week low of
$10.91. Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd (ADR) (NASDAQ:MPEL) is the fourth
best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was up 1.9% on the day.
MPELs upside potential is 59.0% based on brokerage analysts average target price
of $15.37. It is trading at 59.9% of its 52-week high of $16.15, and 57.7% above
its 52-week low of $6.13. AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASIA) is the fifth
best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was up 1.6% on the day.
ASIAs upside potential is 126.7% based on brokerage analysts average target
price of $17.44. It is trading at 33.6% of its 52-week high of $22.91, and 23.8%
above its 52-week low of $6.21. ZHONGPIN INC. (NASDAQ:HOGS) is the sixth
best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was up 1.4% on the day.
HOGSs upside potential is 83.0% based on brokerage analysts average target price
of $15.92. It is trading at 41.3% of its 52-week high of $21.07, and 31.8% above
its 52-week low of $6.60. Ambow Education Holding Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:AMBO) is the
seventh best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was up 1.2% on
the day. AMBOs upside potential is 13.8% based on brokerage analysts average
target price of $8.00. It is trading at 48.8% of its 52-week high of $14.40, and
54.2% above its 52-week low of $4.56. China Real Estate Information Corp
(NASDAQ:CRIC) is the eighth best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec.
27. It was up 0.7% on the day. CRICs upside potential is 97.8% based on
brokerage analysts average target price of $8.05. It is trading at 41.2% of its
52-week high of $9.89, and 10.6% above its 52-week low of $3.68. China Lodging
Group, Ltd (ADR) (NASDAQ:HTHT) is the ninth best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese
stock on Dec. 27. It was up 0.6% on the day. HTHTs upside potential is 58.4%
based on brokerage analysts average target price of $21.82. It is trading at
56.3% of its 52-week high of $24.47, and 14.7% above its 52-week low of $12.00.
Seaspan Corporation (NYSE:SSW) is the 10th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese
stock on Dec. 27. It was up 0.5% on the day. SSWs upside potential is 31.9%
based on brokerage analysts average target price of $18.00. It is trading at
64.0% of its 52-week high of $21.33, and 33.7% above its 52-week low of $10.21.
Simcere Pharmaceutical Group (ADR) (NYSE:SCR) is the 11th best-performing
U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was up 0.4% on the day. SCRs upside
potential is 25.9% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $9.98. It
is trading at 57.7% of its 52-week high of $13.75, and 11.4% above its 52-week
low of $7.12. Qihoo 360 Technology Co Ltd (NYSE:QIHU) is the 12th
best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was up 0.4% on the day.
QIHUs upside potential is 105.6% based on brokerage analysts average target
price of $34.07. It is trading at 45.8% of its 52-week high of $36.21, and 15.9%
above its 52-week low of $14.30. New Oriental Education & Tech Grp (ADR)
(NYSE:EDU) is the 13th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It
was up 0.1% on the day. EDUs upside potential is 46.5% 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 16.9% above its 52-week low of $20.61. Mindray Medical
International Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:MR) is the 14th best-performing U.S.-listed
Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was up 0.0% on the day. MRs upside potential is
22.1% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $31.13. It is trading
at 81.7% of its 52-week high of $31.21, and 20.0% above its 52-week low of
$21.25. CNOOC Limited (ADR) (NYSE:CEO) is the 15th best-performing U.S.-listed
Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was up 0.0% 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. AutoNavi Holdings Ltd (ADR) (NASDAQ:AMAP) is the 16th best-performing
U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was up 0.0% on the day. AMAPs upside
potential is 130.6% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $22.83.
It is trading at 49.0% of its 52-week high of $20.20, and 11.6% above its
52-week low of $8.87. China Mobile Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE:CHL) is the 17th
best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 0.0% 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. Shanda Interactive Entertainment Ltd ADR
(NASDAQ:SNDA) is the 18th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27.
It was down 0.2% on the day. SNDAs upside potential is -0.9% based on brokerage
analysts average target price of $39.66. It is trading at 73.8% of its 52-week
high of $54.20, and 40.6% above its 52-week low of $28.44. PetroChina Company
Limited (ADR) (NYSE:PTR) is the 19th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock
on Dec. 27. It was down 0.2% on the day. PTRs upside potential is 24.1% based on
brokerage analysts average target price of $150.67. It is trading at 76.5% of
its 52-week high of $158.83, and 9.1% above its 52-week low of $111.29.
Ctrip.com International, Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:CTRP) is the 20th best-performing
U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 0.3% on the day. CTRPs upside
potential is 92.0% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $44.30.
It is trading at 45.6% of its 52-week high of $50.57, and 3.3% above its 52-week
low of $22.33.
Technologies Inc.(ADR) (NYSE:VIT) is the best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese
stock on Dec. 27. It was up 6.7% on the day. VITs upside potential is 93.4%
based on brokerage analysts average target price of $18.24. It is trading at
24.8% of its 52-week high of $37.99, and 52.3% above its 52-week low of $6.19.
Renren Inc (NYSE:RENN) is the second best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock
on Dec. 27. It was up 2.4% on the day. RENNs upside potential is 122.2% based on
brokerage analysts average target price of $7.62. It is trading at 14.3% of its
52-week high of $24.00, and 6.9% above its 52-week low of $3.21. 7 DAYS GROUP
HOLDINGS LIMITED(ADR) (NYSE:SVN) is the third best-performing U.S.-listed
Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was up 2.0% on the day. SVNs upside potential is
109.1% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $24.03. It is trading
at 47.9% of its 52-week high of $24.00, and 5.3% above its 52-week low of
$10.91. Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd (ADR) (NASDAQ:MPEL) is the fourth
best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was up 1.9% on the day.
MPELs upside potential is 59.0% based on brokerage analysts average target price
of $15.37. It is trading at 59.9% of its 52-week high of $16.15, and 57.7% above
its 52-week low of $6.13. AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASIA) is the fifth
best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was up 1.6% on the day.
ASIAs upside potential is 126.7% based on brokerage analysts average target
price of $17.44. It is trading at 33.6% of its 52-week high of $22.91, and 23.8%
above its 52-week low of $6.21. ZHONGPIN INC. (NASDAQ:HOGS) is the sixth
best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was up 1.4% on the day.
HOGSs upside potential is 83.0% based on brokerage analysts average target price
of $15.92. It is trading at 41.3% of its 52-week high of $21.07, and 31.8% above
its 52-week low of $6.60. Ambow Education Holding Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:AMBO) is the
seventh best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was up 1.2% on
the day. AMBOs upside potential is 13.8% based on brokerage analysts average
target price of $8.00. It is trading at 48.8% of its 52-week high of $14.40, and
54.2% above its 52-week low of $4.56. China Real Estate Information Corp
(NASDAQ:CRIC) is the eighth best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec.
27. It was up 0.7% on the day. CRICs upside potential is 97.8% based on
brokerage analysts average target price of $8.05. It is trading at 41.2% of its
52-week high of $9.89, and 10.6% above its 52-week low of $3.68. China Lodging
Group, Ltd (ADR) (NASDAQ:HTHT) is the ninth best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese
stock on Dec. 27. It was up 0.6% on the day. HTHTs upside potential is 58.4%
based on brokerage analysts average target price of $21.82. It is trading at
56.3% of its 52-week high of $24.47, and 14.7% above its 52-week low of $12.00.
Seaspan Corporation (NYSE:SSW) is the 10th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese
stock on Dec. 27. It was up 0.5% on the day. SSWs upside potential is 31.9%
based on brokerage analysts average target price of $18.00. It is trading at
64.0% of its 52-week high of $21.33, and 33.7% above its 52-week low of $10.21.
Simcere Pharmaceutical Group (ADR) (NYSE:SCR) is the 11th best-performing
U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was up 0.4% on the day. SCRs upside
potential is 25.9% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $9.98. It
is trading at 57.7% of its 52-week high of $13.75, and 11.4% above its 52-week
low of $7.12. Qihoo 360 Technology Co Ltd (NYSE:QIHU) is the 12th
best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was up 0.4% on the day.
QIHUs upside potential is 105.6% based on brokerage analysts average target
price of $34.07. It is trading at 45.8% of its 52-week high of $36.21, and 15.9%
above its 52-week low of $14.30. New Oriental Education & Tech Grp (ADR)
(NYSE:EDU) is the 13th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It
was up 0.1% on the day. EDUs upside potential is 46.5% 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 16.9% above its 52-week low of $20.61. Mindray Medical
International Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:MR) is the 14th best-performing U.S.-listed
Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was up 0.0% on the day. MRs upside potential is
22.1% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $31.13. It is trading
at 81.7% of its 52-week high of $31.21, and 20.0% above its 52-week low of
$21.25. CNOOC Limited (ADR) (NYSE:CEO) is the 15th best-performing U.S.-listed
Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was up 0.0% 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. AutoNavi Holdings Ltd (ADR) (NASDAQ:AMAP) is the 16th best-performing
U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was up 0.0% on the day. AMAPs upside
potential is 130.6% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $22.83.
It is trading at 49.0% of its 52-week high of $20.20, and 11.6% above its
52-week low of $8.87. China Mobile Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE:CHL) is the 17th
best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 0.0% 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. Shanda Interactive Entertainment Ltd ADR
(NASDAQ:SNDA) is the 18th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27.
It was down 0.2% on the day. SNDAs upside potential is -0.9% based on brokerage
analysts average target price of $39.66. It is trading at 73.8% of its 52-week
high of $54.20, and 40.6% above its 52-week low of $28.44. PetroChina Company
Limited (ADR) (NYSE:PTR) is the 19th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock
on Dec. 27. It was down 0.2% on the day. PTRs upside potential is 24.1% based on
brokerage analysts average target price of $150.67. It is trading at 76.5% of
its 52-week high of $158.83, and 9.1% above its 52-week low of $111.29.
Ctrip.com International, Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:CTRP) is the 20th best-performing
U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 0.3% on the day. CTRPs upside
potential is 92.0% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $44.30.
It is trading at 45.6% of its 52-week high of $50.57, and 3.3% above its 52-week
low of $22.33.
Sears Slammed After Store Closings — Tuesday’s IP Market Recap
Warm feelings of Christmas cheer took a cold turn Tuesday for Sears (NASDAQ:
SHLD ) investors, who couldn't sell fast enough as the company announced
scores of store closings . SHLD shares dumped 27% in just a few short hours.
Sears announced today it will close between 100 to 120 Sears and Kmart stores a
bit less than 5% of its total locations to generate between $140 million to
$170 million. Sears, much like beleaguered brethren like Best Buy (NYSE: BBY ),
has continued to suffer losses to online retailers like Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN ).
But the company also has watched its once-great Craftsman and Kenmore lines fall
into consumer disinterest, and the stores themselves are in desperate need of
updating. SHLD stock finished Tuesday just above $33, marking its lowest point
since the financial crisis. Minus a brief spate of autumn optimism, likely on
the anticipation of strong holiday sales, the stock has tumbled steadily since
its February peak of $93 for a 65% decline. Enjoying a far better day was Mead
Johnson (NYSE: MJN ), which gained almost 6% on positive news concerning its
baby formula, Enfamil. Numerous retailers pulled the formula from their stores
after two babies tested positive for a certain bacteria. The FDA is conducting
its own research, but a Mead Johnson test on samples showed its Enfamil appears
to be safe. Also Tuesday, oil crossed the $100 threshold once more as Iran
lashed out against possible international sanctions by threatening to cease
crude oil shipments coming through the Strait of Hormuz. Responding in kind were
the United States Oil Fund (NYSE: USO ) and the PowerShares DB Oil Fund (NYSE:
DBO ), each of which gained about 1.5%. Three Up Research In Motion (NASDAQ:
RIMM ): Up 6.9% (96 cents) to $14.87. MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM ): Up 4.62% (46
cents) to $10.42 Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF ): Up 3.48% ($2.27) to $67.45. Three
Down Whirlpool (NYSE: WHR ): Down 8.93% ($4.57) to $46.62. Walgreen (NYSE: WAG )
Down 5.6% ($1.98) to $33.36. Eldorado Gold (NYSE: EGO ): Down 5.52% (79 cents)
to $13.53. As of this writing, Kyle Woodley did not hold a position in any of
the aforementioned stocks. Check out our list of previous IP Market Recaps .
SHLD ) investors, who couldn't sell fast enough as the company announced
scores of store closings . SHLD shares dumped 27% in just a few short hours.
Sears announced today it will close between 100 to 120 Sears and Kmart stores a
bit less than 5% of its total locations to generate between $140 million to
$170 million. Sears, much like beleaguered brethren like Best Buy (NYSE: BBY ),
has continued to suffer losses to online retailers like Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN ).
But the company also has watched its once-great Craftsman and Kenmore lines fall
into consumer disinterest, and the stores themselves are in desperate need of
updating. SHLD stock finished Tuesday just above $33, marking its lowest point
since the financial crisis. Minus a brief spate of autumn optimism, likely on
the anticipation of strong holiday sales, the stock has tumbled steadily since
its February peak of $93 for a 65% decline. Enjoying a far better day was Mead
Johnson (NYSE: MJN ), which gained almost 6% on positive news concerning its
baby formula, Enfamil. Numerous retailers pulled the formula from their stores
after two babies tested positive for a certain bacteria. The FDA is conducting
its own research, but a Mead Johnson test on samples showed its Enfamil appears
to be safe. Also Tuesday, oil crossed the $100 threshold once more as Iran
lashed out against possible international sanctions by threatening to cease
crude oil shipments coming through the Strait of Hormuz. Responding in kind were
the United States Oil Fund (NYSE: USO ) and the PowerShares DB Oil Fund (NYSE:
DBO ), each of which gained about 1.5%. Three Up Research In Motion (NASDAQ:
RIMM ): Up 6.9% (96 cents) to $14.87. MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM ): Up 4.62% (46
cents) to $10.42 Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF ): Up 3.48% ($2.27) to $67.45. Three
Down Whirlpool (NYSE: WHR ): Down 8.93% ($4.57) to $46.62. Walgreen (NYSE: WAG )
Down 5.6% ($1.98) to $33.36. Eldorado Gold (NYSE: EGO ): Down 5.52% (79 cents)
to $13.53. As of this writing, Kyle Woodley did not hold a position in any of
the aforementioned stocks. Check out our list of previous IP Market Recaps .
Gold Price Fell Below $1,600, Expect a Move Higher Before the Week Ends
Gold Price Close Today : 1594.20 Change : (10.50) or -0.7% Silver Price Close
Today : 2869.70 Change : 34.90 cents or -1.2% Gold Silver Ratio Today : 55.553
Change : 0.306 or 0.6% Silver Gold Ratio Today : 0.01800 Change : -0.000100 or
-0.6% Platinum Price Close Today : 1437.10 Change : 5.10 or 0.4% Palladium Price
Close Today : 663.50 Change : 38.05 or 6.1% S&P 500 : 1,265.43 Change : 0.01 or
0.0% Dow In GOLD$ : $159.38 Change : $ 1.03 or 0.6% Dow in GOLD oz : 7.710
Change : 0.050 or 0.6% Dow in SILVER oz : 428.31 Change : 5.06 or 1.2% Dow
Industrial : 12,291.35 Change : -2.65 or 0.0% US Dollar Index : 79.80 Change :
-0.440 or -0.5% Interpreting the GOLD PRICE and SILVER PRICE moves here lately
is a work in progress. The GOLD PRICE gave back much of last week's gains by
falling below $1,600 again. Lost $10.50 today to $1,594.20. Before you roll up
your shirtsleeve and look for a razor blade, hang on. Last week gold punched
through its 200 day moving average (now $1,621.83). It bounced off that, a
wholly normal move. Let's guess it might even touch $1,570, then turn around and
head for $1,680. Unless it closes below $1,562.50, that's what I expect, a move
higher before the week ends. The SILVER PRICE stands nearly on top of its
uptrend line connecting the end-September and December lows. It's time to fish
or cut bait. Should silver fall below 2800c, it will signal further falls
coming, at least to 2600c. Today on Comex silver fell 34.9c to 2869.7. As it now
stands, though, I expect silver to turn around from here and rise again. It's a
roll of the dice, however. I drove down nearly to Birmingham today to swap four
shoats for two Great Pyrenees pups, and it was COLD. I think I got the better
part of that bargain, but then again, you can't eat dogs. Leastways, better not
in Tennessee. Most people will shoot you if you eat their dog, hot dogs
excepted. For all the crowing about stocks ending the year in "positive
territory," 'tain't much to brag about. Dow closed 2010 at 11,573.42, so today's
price brings it up by a not-very-remarkable 6.2% -- not since it has had almost
365 days to do something. S&P500 is up by only 0.63% (yes, the decimal point IS
in the right spot). Now why do you reckon that the broader measure of the stock
market, the S&P500, would have risen a slight
less-than-two-thirds-of-one-percent while the Dow with only 30 stocks rose 6.2%?
As Yogurt said in the movie, Space Balls, "Moichendizing!" My guess is the Nice
Government Men wanted the widely-watched Dow to look good for the year, but what
do I know? Nothing. I'm just a natural born fool from Tennessee. Today the Dow
dropped 2.65 (0.02%) to 12,291.35. I have repeatedly said I didn't expect the
Dow to beat 12,200 -- so call it 12,300. It's all the same resistance level.
S&P500 closed 1,265.43, up -- get this -- 0.1. Big day on the trading floor.
Here's a little ditty for 2012: Eschew stocks In 2012 Or buy a shovel And learn
to delve. Scrofulous US dollar index dropped 0.06% today, 44 basis points, to
land at 79.796. Looks like NGM trying to square their books at year end with
last year's 79.173 close. Makes no never mind. Dollar remains above the sharply
rising uptrend line that began off the late October bottom. Unless it closes
below 79.25, buck remains in an uptrend. Scurvy euro profited from the dollar's
stumble to rise 0.15% to 1.3068. It headeth still for 1.2000. Scruffy yen gained
0.32% today, hopping off its bottom support line to perch on the 20 DMA. Look at
the chart. It's being managed. Argentum et aurum comparenda sunt -- -- Gold and
silver must be bought. - Franklin Sanders, The Moneychanger The-MoneyChanger.com
© 2011, The Moneychanger. May not be republished in any form, including
electronically, without our express permission. To avoid confusion, please
remember that the comments above have a very short time horizon. Always invest
with the primary trend. Gold's primary trend is up, targeting at least
$3,130.00; silver's primary is up targeting 16:1 gold/silver ratio or $195.66;
stocks' primary trend is down, targeting Dow under 2,900 and worth only one
ounce of gold; US$ or US$-denominated assets, primary trend down; real estate
bubble has burst, primary trend down. WARNING AND DISCLAIMER. Be advised and
warned: Do NOT use these commentaries to trade futures contracts. I don't intend
them for that or write them with that short term trading outlook. I write them
for long-term investors in physical metals. Take them as entertainment, but not
as a timing service for futures. NOR do I recommend investing in gold or silver
Exchange Trade Funds (ETFs). Those are NOT physical metal and I fear one day one
or another may go up in smoke. Unless you can breathe smoke, stay away. Call me
paranoid, but the surviving rabbit is wary of traps. NOR do I recommend trading
futures options or other leveraged paper gold and silver products. These are not
for the inexperienced. NOR do I recommend buying gold and silver on margin or
with debt. What DO I recommend? Physical gold and silver coins and bars in your
own hands. One final warning: NEVER insert a 747 Jumbo Jet up your nose.
Today : 2869.70 Change : 34.90 cents or -1.2% Gold Silver Ratio Today : 55.553
Change : 0.306 or 0.6% Silver Gold Ratio Today : 0.01800 Change : -0.000100 or
-0.6% Platinum Price Close Today : 1437.10 Change : 5.10 or 0.4% Palladium Price
Close Today : 663.50 Change : 38.05 or 6.1% S&P 500 : 1,265.43 Change : 0.01 or
0.0% Dow In GOLD$ : $159.38 Change : $ 1.03 or 0.6% Dow in GOLD oz : 7.710
Change : 0.050 or 0.6% Dow in SILVER oz : 428.31 Change : 5.06 or 1.2% Dow
Industrial : 12,291.35 Change : -2.65 or 0.0% US Dollar Index : 79.80 Change :
-0.440 or -0.5% Interpreting the GOLD PRICE and SILVER PRICE moves here lately
is a work in progress. The GOLD PRICE gave back much of last week's gains by
falling below $1,600 again. Lost $10.50 today to $1,594.20. Before you roll up
your shirtsleeve and look for a razor blade, hang on. Last week gold punched
through its 200 day moving average (now $1,621.83). It bounced off that, a
wholly normal move. Let's guess it might even touch $1,570, then turn around and
head for $1,680. Unless it closes below $1,562.50, that's what I expect, a move
higher before the week ends. The SILVER PRICE stands nearly on top of its
uptrend line connecting the end-September and December lows. It's time to fish
or cut bait. Should silver fall below 2800c, it will signal further falls
coming, at least to 2600c. Today on Comex silver fell 34.9c to 2869.7. As it now
stands, though, I expect silver to turn around from here and rise again. It's a
roll of the dice, however. I drove down nearly to Birmingham today to swap four
shoats for two Great Pyrenees pups, and it was COLD. I think I got the better
part of that bargain, but then again, you can't eat dogs. Leastways, better not
in Tennessee. Most people will shoot you if you eat their dog, hot dogs
excepted. For all the crowing about stocks ending the year in "positive
territory," 'tain't much to brag about. Dow closed 2010 at 11,573.42, so today's
price brings it up by a not-very-remarkable 6.2% -- not since it has had almost
365 days to do something. S&P500 is up by only 0.63% (yes, the decimal point IS
in the right spot). Now why do you reckon that the broader measure of the stock
market, the S&P500, would have risen a slight
less-than-two-thirds-of-one-percent while the Dow with only 30 stocks rose 6.2%?
As Yogurt said in the movie, Space Balls, "Moichendizing!" My guess is the Nice
Government Men wanted the widely-watched Dow to look good for the year, but what
do I know? Nothing. I'm just a natural born fool from Tennessee. Today the Dow
dropped 2.65 (0.02%) to 12,291.35. I have repeatedly said I didn't expect the
Dow to beat 12,200 -- so call it 12,300. It's all the same resistance level.
S&P500 closed 1,265.43, up -- get this -- 0.1. Big day on the trading floor.
Here's a little ditty for 2012: Eschew stocks In 2012 Or buy a shovel And learn
to delve. Scrofulous US dollar index dropped 0.06% today, 44 basis points, to
land at 79.796. Looks like NGM trying to square their books at year end with
last year's 79.173 close. Makes no never mind. Dollar remains above the sharply
rising uptrend line that began off the late October bottom. Unless it closes
below 79.25, buck remains in an uptrend. Scurvy euro profited from the dollar's
stumble to rise 0.15% to 1.3068. It headeth still for 1.2000. Scruffy yen gained
0.32% today, hopping off its bottom support line to perch on the 20 DMA. Look at
the chart. It's being managed. Argentum et aurum comparenda sunt -- -- Gold and
silver must be bought. - Franklin Sanders, The Moneychanger The-MoneyChanger.com
© 2011, The Moneychanger. May not be republished in any form, including
electronically, without our express permission. To avoid confusion, please
remember that the comments above have a very short time horizon. Always invest
with the primary trend. Gold's primary trend is up, targeting at least
$3,130.00; silver's primary is up targeting 16:1 gold/silver ratio or $195.66;
stocks' primary trend is down, targeting Dow under 2,900 and worth only one
ounce of gold; US$ or US$-denominated assets, primary trend down; real estate
bubble has burst, primary trend down. WARNING AND DISCLAIMER. Be advised and
warned: Do NOT use these commentaries to trade futures contracts. I don't intend
them for that or write them with that short term trading outlook. I write them
for long-term investors in physical metals. Take them as entertainment, but not
as a timing service for futures. NOR do I recommend investing in gold or silver
Exchange Trade Funds (ETFs). Those are NOT physical metal and I fear one day one
or another may go up in smoke. Unless you can breathe smoke, stay away. Call me
paranoid, but the surviving rabbit is wary of traps. NOR do I recommend trading
futures options or other leveraged paper gold and silver products. These are not
for the inexperienced. NOR do I recommend buying gold and silver on margin or
with debt. What DO I recommend? Physical gold and silver coins and bars in your
own hands. One final warning: NEVER insert a 747 Jumbo Jet up your nose.
Top Oversold U.S.-Listed Chinese Stocks (Dec 27, 2011)
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 China Analyst Below are the latest oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stocks. ReneSola Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE:SOL) is the most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 10.2% on the day. SOL's upside potential is 90.7% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $2.86. It is trading at 11.3% of its 52-week high of $13.25, and 3.4% above its 52-week low of $1.45. Trina Solar Limited (ADR) (NYSE:TSL) is the second most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 6.1% on the day. TSL's upside potential is 85.6% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $13.07. It is trading at 22.7% of its 52-week high of $31.08, and 33.3% above its 52-week low of $5.28. Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE:STP) is the third most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 6.1% on the day. STP's upside potential is 104.2% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $4.43. It is trading at 20.0% of its 52-week high of $10.83, and 27.6% above its 52-week low of $1.70. Jiayuan.com International Ltd (NASDAQ:DATE) is the fourth most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 4.6% on the day. DATE's upside potential is 153.6% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $15.22. It is trading at 37.2% of its 52-week high of $16.12, and 9.1% above its 52-week low of $5.50. Noah Holdings Limited (ADR) (NYSE:NOAH) is the fifth most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 4.0% on the day. NOAH's upside potential is 204.8% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $19.96. It is trading at 32.4% of its 52-week high of $20.23, and 0.5% above its 52-week low of $6.52. iSoftStone Holdings Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:ISS) is the sixth most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 3.7% on the day. ISS's upside potential is 119.7% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $17.20. It is trading at 34.6% of its 52-week high of $22.63, and 38.3% above its 52-week low of $5.66. Shanda Games Limited(ADR) (NASDAQ:GAME) is the seventh most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 3.1% on the day. GAME's upside potential is 65.9% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $6.65. It is trading at 52.1% of its 52-week high of $7.70, and 15.9% above its 52-week low of $3.46. Changyou.com Limited(ADR) (NASDAQ:CYOU) is the eighth most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 3.1% on the day. CYOU's upside potential is 89.6% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $42.88. It is trading at 43.5% of its 52-week high of $52.00, and 9.2% above its 52-week low of $20.71. Country Syl Ckng Restaurant Chain Co Ltd (NYSE:CCSC) is the ninth most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 3.0% on the day. CCSC's upside potential is 66.1% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $12.12. It is trading at 28.6% of its 52-week high of $25.54, and 10.6% above its 52-week low of $6.60. E-House (China) Holdings Limited (ADR) (NYSE:EJ) is the 10th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 3.0% on the day. EJ's upside potential is 158.2% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $10.97. It is trading at 26.2% of its 52-week high of $16.25, and 1.0% above its 52-week low of $4.21. 21Vianet Group Inc (NASDAQ:VNET) is the 11th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 2.8% on the day. VNET's upside potential is 96.3% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $17.89. It is trading at 40.8% of its 52-week high of $22.33, and 9.6% above its 52-week low of $8.31. Perfect World Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:PWRD) is the 12th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 2.6% on the day. PWRD's upside potential is 118.0% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $24.00. It is trading at 37.8% of its 52-week high of $29.10, and 22.3% above its 52-week low of $9.00. Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ:HOLI) is the 13th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 2.3% on the day. HOLI's upside potential is 91.4% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $13.13. It is trading at 37.8% of its 52-week high of $18.15, and 51.1% above its 52-week low of $4.54. JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:JASO) is the 14th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 2.2% on the day. JASO's upside potential is 138.2% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $3.14. It is trading at 15.4% of its 52-week high of $8.57, and 9.1% above its 52-week low of $1.21. China Kanghui Holdings (ADR) (NYSE:KH) is the 15th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 2.0% on the day. KH's upside potential is 68.5% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $24.75. It is trading at 55.4% of its 52-week high of $26.50, and 13.7% above its 52-week low of $12.92. SINA Corporation (USA) (NASDAQ:SINA) is the 16th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 2.0% on the day. SINA's upside potential is 92.7% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $105.37. It is trading at 37.2% of its 52-week high of $147.12, and 16.7% above its 52-week low of $46.86. WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) Inc. (ADR) (NYSE:WX) is the 17th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 1.9% on the day. WX's upside potential is 68.8% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $18.54. It is trading at 57.5% of its 52-week high of $19.10, and 2.2% above its 52-week low of $10.74. Youku.com Inc (ADR) (NYSE:YOKU) is the 18th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 1.9% on the day. YOKU's upside potential is 78.6% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $29.14. It is trading at 23.3% of its 52-week high of $69.95, and 18.6% above its 52-week low of $13.76. LDK Solar Co., Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:LDK) is the 19th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 1.8% on the day. LDK's upside potential is -7.7% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $4.48. It is trading at 32.4% of its 52-week high of $14.97, and 90.2% above its 52-week low of $2.55. Giant Interactive Group Inc (ADR) (NYSE:GA) is the 20th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 1.7% on the day. GA's upside potential is 74.4% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $6.98. It is trading at 42.3% of its 52-week high of $9.45, and 32.5% above its 52-week low of $3.02.
Todays Gold Price per ounce Spot gold price per gram; Silver price per ounce Spot silver prices Today Close: GG Gold Stock
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
dow2664 Gold Price and Silver Price One month Change: Gold price and silver price trend-lines are running negatively over the course of the last several weeks. According to one month change analysis, gold prices are negative by approximately 6.6 percent. Silver prices are negative by about 9.5 percent over this course of time. Silver has struggled recently and the negative trend is broadly based. Silver price trend is negative by almost .7 percent for the YTD. YTD change analysis for Gold price is positive by approximately 15 percent. Current Gold and Silver Price Trends: Gold futures dipped slightly during the last open trading session before Christmas. Today, as of the mid-day mark, gold and silver price trends continue to move in a negative direction. Both, gold and silver contracts were posting negative electronic values halfway through the trading session today. Gold contract was red by .54 percent at 1597.40 per troy ounce according to electronic posting. Silver contract for March delivery was red by .13 percent at 29.04 per troy ounce according to mid-day electronic posting. Spot gold price per gram/kilo: Spot gold price per gram was posting red by .31 at 51.32. Recent price for spot gold per kilo was red by 313.79 at 51320.31. Spot Silver Price per ounce/kilo: Spot silver price per ounce was red by .06 at 29.02 and spot silver price per kilo was red by 2.03 at 933.05 as of mid-day trading. Contract gold and Contract Silver price per ounce Close: The dollar fell back to the euro today and gold futures still dropped into the red for the day. Contract gold for February delivery fell lower by about .65 percent today to close out just under 1600 per troy ounce. Contract silver for March delivery fell lower by 1.18 percent to finished off the day with a floor price of 29.74 per troy ounce. Spot gold price per gram kilo: Spot gold price per gram was posting red after close by .43 at 51.20 and spot gold price per kilo was red at this point by 432.11 at 51201.99. Spot silver price per ounce kilo: Spot silver price per ounce was red by .43 at 28.66 and spot silver price per kilo was red by 13.70 at 921.38 after close. Gold Stock: GoldCorp Inc. value dropped lower throughout the trading session. GG closed out red on the day by 1.47 percent at 44.24. The day’s high was 44.73 and the day’s low was 43.91. Overall, it was a negative day for precious metal gold and silver. Camillo Zucari
Losing Skid Hits Four for Gold Futures, Silver Slides 1.2%
Gold futures settled lower for the fourth consecutive trading session on
Tuesday amid widespread weakness in precious and industrial metals. COMEX gold
for February 2012 delivery the most actively-traded contract finished with a
loss of $10.50, or 0.7%, at $1,595.50 per ounce.
Tuesday amid widespread weakness in precious and industrial metals. COMEX gold
for February 2012 delivery the most actively-traded contract finished with a
loss of $10.50, or 0.7%, at $1,595.50 per ounce.
3 Once-Great Tech Offerings Going Extinct Next Year
Dell (NASDAQ: DELL ) recently announced that its halting production of the
Inspiron Mini computer, marking its exit from the netbook PC business. From 2007
to 2009, netbooks proved to be big business for Dell. A couple of years back,
market analysts projected that various manufacturers would ship 139 million
netbooks in 2013 . Dell plans to instead shift focus to production of Intel s
(NASDAQ: INTC ) new ultrabook PCs. How things change. Here at the end of 2011,
research firms like Gartner who track the global PC business expect 2011 sales
growth to slow from 2010 , with the market growing just 3.8%. The group was
expecting the PC business to ship a total of 400 million units this year; now
its projecting just 364 million. Forget netbooks. The proliferation of devices
like Google (NASDAQ: GOOG ) Android-based smartphones and Apple s (NASDAQ: AAPL
) iPad tablet are flat-out choking the PC market. So netbooks look down and out.
Whats next on the chopping block? Heres a look at three other technologies once
profit-driving engines of the tech industry that are going to fade into
obscurity in 2012: Apple iPod Classic The iPod has had a good run during the
past 10 years. From scrappy oddball to zeitgeist-defining phenomenon, the
original iPod is as responsible for Apples rise over the past decade as the
iPhone and iPad have been. This was the device that started it all. Now called
the iPod Classic, it has been two years since Apple released a new model, and
the line has been all but replaced by the iPhone-like iPod Touch. With the
increasing prominence of flash memory and cloud storage for music and movies and
the rising cost of the hard drives used in the devices , it looks like the
market finally has moved on from the iPod Classic. Apple will continue to make
to make iPods in 2012, but expect the Classic to finally ride off into the
sunset.
Inspiron Mini computer, marking its exit from the netbook PC business. From 2007
to 2009, netbooks proved to be big business for Dell. A couple of years back,
market analysts projected that various manufacturers would ship 139 million
netbooks in 2013 . Dell plans to instead shift focus to production of Intel s
(NASDAQ: INTC ) new ultrabook PCs. How things change. Here at the end of 2011,
research firms like Gartner who track the global PC business expect 2011 sales
growth to slow from 2010 , with the market growing just 3.8%. The group was
expecting the PC business to ship a total of 400 million units this year; now
its projecting just 364 million. Forget netbooks. The proliferation of devices
like Google (NASDAQ: GOOG ) Android-based smartphones and Apple s (NASDAQ: AAPL
) iPad tablet are flat-out choking the PC market. So netbooks look down and out.
Whats next on the chopping block? Heres a look at three other technologies once
profit-driving engines of the tech industry that are going to fade into
obscurity in 2012: Apple iPod Classic The iPod has had a good run during the
past 10 years. From scrappy oddball to zeitgeist-defining phenomenon, the
original iPod is as responsible for Apples rise over the past decade as the
iPhone and iPad have been. This was the device that started it all. Now called
the iPod Classic, it has been two years since Apple released a new model, and
the line has been all but replaced by the iPhone-like iPod Touch. With the
increasing prominence of flash memory and cloud storage for music and movies and
the rising cost of the hard drives used in the devices , it looks like the
market finally has moved on from the iPod Classic. Apple will continue to make
to make iPods in 2012, but expect the Classic to finally ride off into the
sunset.
3 Top Takeover Candidates for 2012
According to a report from PricewaterhouseCooper 's US Transaction Services
division, pent-up demand for mergers and acquisitions is high. Large companies
are looking to find growth opportunities and they certainly have the resources
to pull off transactions, with cash reserves in the neighborhood of $1.5
trillion. At the same time, private equity firms are also flush with capital and
are searching for good values. In fact, if lending starts to loosen up, the deal
activity could be strong. PwC thinks that some of the hot industries for M&A
will be technology, energy and health care. Then again, theyve been popular for
some time. So, what companies might be buyout candidates for 2012? Here's a
look at three: Salesforce.com Salesforce.com 's (NYSE: CRM ) is the dominant
player in cloud computing, which is a fast-growing trend in business
applications. The costs tend to be lower because companies need less investment
for servers and infrastructure. At the same time, customers pay for the software
based on subscriptions. While Salesforce s business still focuses on customer
relationship management (CRM), the company has been building out a broad
platform for application development, collaboration and even social media
analytics. These moves have certainly been helpful in maintaining Saleforces
torrid growth rate. In the latest quarter, revenues increased by 34%. True,
Salesforce has a hefty market cap of $14 billion. But as seen recently, major
legacy software vendors, like Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL ) and SAP (NYSE: SAP ), have
struck high-priced deals in the sector. In the case of Salesforce, a company
like Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT ) or even Google (NASDAQ: GOOG ) could be willing
buyers. Range Resources Over the past few years, the shale energy business has
seen lots of dealmaking. Substantial reserves are available and are often easy
to extract and in areas that have few political risks. And the deals have been
large. In November, BHP (NYSE: BHP ) agreed to shell out $12.1 billion for
Petrohawk Energy. Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM ) and Chevron (NYSE: CVX ) have also
struck major acquisitions. One shale operator that could be an attractive buyout
target is Range Resources (NYSE: RRC ), which focuses on the Marcellus region in
the eastern U.S. Some of the advantages of this area includes the low-cost of
production and easy access to lucrative markets. Range Resources currently has
long-term leases on 800,000 acres in the area (it also has properties in the
Permian Basin and Mid-Continent). These assets would definitely be attractive
for the giant oil operators, which need to find ways to bolster their reserves.
And with natural gas prices falling, it could be a good time to buy while
valuations are cheaper. Quest Diagnostics Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX ) is a
top provider of diagnostic testing equipment, mostly in the U.S. It has a system
of over 2,000 centers, which represent a substantial barrier to entry. Yet the
company has had difficulties with its growth rate. Keep in mind that because of
the slow economy people have been putting off medical care, although this could
be a short-term trend. After all, the aging baby boomers will inevitably use
more and more medical services. Interestingly enough, some signs show that Quest
is already preparing for some type of buyout. It has announced cost-cutting
efforts and has boosted its dividend. Also, the CEO has departed. All in all,
Quest would be a smart acquisition for a private equity group. Consider that the
cash flows should remain fairly stable for the long-haul, which is likely to
make it easy to finance a transaction. Tom Taulli runs the InvestorPlace blog
" IPOPlaybook ," a site dedicated to the hottest news and rumors about
initial public offerings. He is also the author of "All About Short Selling"
and "All About Commodities." Follow him on Twitter at @ttaulli . As of this
writing, he did not own a position in any of the aforementioned stocks.
division, pent-up demand for mergers and acquisitions is high. Large companies
are looking to find growth opportunities and they certainly have the resources
to pull off transactions, with cash reserves in the neighborhood of $1.5
trillion. At the same time, private equity firms are also flush with capital and
are searching for good values. In fact, if lending starts to loosen up, the deal
activity could be strong. PwC thinks that some of the hot industries for M&A
will be technology, energy and health care. Then again, theyve been popular for
some time. So, what companies might be buyout candidates for 2012? Here's a
look at three: Salesforce.com Salesforce.com 's (NYSE: CRM ) is the dominant
player in cloud computing, which is a fast-growing trend in business
applications. The costs tend to be lower because companies need less investment
for servers and infrastructure. At the same time, customers pay for the software
based on subscriptions. While Salesforce s business still focuses on customer
relationship management (CRM), the company has been building out a broad
platform for application development, collaboration and even social media
analytics. These moves have certainly been helpful in maintaining Saleforces
torrid growth rate. In the latest quarter, revenues increased by 34%. True,
Salesforce has a hefty market cap of $14 billion. But as seen recently, major
legacy software vendors, like Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL ) and SAP (NYSE: SAP ), have
struck high-priced deals in the sector. In the case of Salesforce, a company
like Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT ) or even Google (NASDAQ: GOOG ) could be willing
buyers. Range Resources Over the past few years, the shale energy business has
seen lots of dealmaking. Substantial reserves are available and are often easy
to extract and in areas that have few political risks. And the deals have been
large. In November, BHP (NYSE: BHP ) agreed to shell out $12.1 billion for
Petrohawk Energy. Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM ) and Chevron (NYSE: CVX ) have also
struck major acquisitions. One shale operator that could be an attractive buyout
target is Range Resources (NYSE: RRC ), which focuses on the Marcellus region in
the eastern U.S. Some of the advantages of this area includes the low-cost of
production and easy access to lucrative markets. Range Resources currently has
long-term leases on 800,000 acres in the area (it also has properties in the
Permian Basin and Mid-Continent). These assets would definitely be attractive
for the giant oil operators, which need to find ways to bolster their reserves.
And with natural gas prices falling, it could be a good time to buy while
valuations are cheaper. Quest Diagnostics Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX ) is a
top provider of diagnostic testing equipment, mostly in the U.S. It has a system
of over 2,000 centers, which represent a substantial barrier to entry. Yet the
company has had difficulties with its growth rate. Keep in mind that because of
the slow economy people have been putting off medical care, although this could
be a short-term trend. After all, the aging baby boomers will inevitably use
more and more medical services. Interestingly enough, some signs show that Quest
is already preparing for some type of buyout. It has announced cost-cutting
efforts and has boosted its dividend. Also, the CEO has departed. All in all,
Quest would be a smart acquisition for a private equity group. Consider that the
cash flows should remain fairly stable for the long-haul, which is likely to
make it easy to finance a transaction. Tom Taulli runs the InvestorPlace blog
" IPOPlaybook ," a site dedicated to the hottest news and rumors about
initial public offerings. He is also the author of "All About Short Selling"
and "All About Commodities." Follow him on Twitter at @ttaulli . As of this
writing, he did not own a position in any of the aforementioned stocks.
Top Oversold U.S.-Listed Chinese Stocks (Dec 27, 2011)
Below are the latest oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stocks. ReneSola Ltd. (ADR)
(NYSE:SOL) is the most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was
down 10.2% on the day. SOLs upside potential is 90.7% based on brokerage
analysts average target price of $2.86. It is trading at 11.3% of its 52-week
high of $13.25, and 3.4% above its 52-week low of $1.45. Trina Solar Limited
(ADR) (NYSE:TSL) is the second most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec.
27. It was down 6.1% on the day. TSLs upside potential is 85.6% based on
brokerage analysts average target price of $13.07. It is trading at 22.7% of its
52-week high of $31.08, and 33.3% above its 52-week low of $5.28. Suntech Power
Holdings Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE:STP) is the third most oversold U.S.-listed
Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 6.1% on the day. STPs upside potential is
104.2% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $4.43. It is trading
at 20.0% of its 52-week high of $10.83, and 27.6% above its 52-week low of
$1.70. Jiayuan.com International Ltd (NASDAQ:DATE) is the fourth most oversold
U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 4.6% on the day. DATEs upside
potential is 153.6% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $15.22.
It is trading at 37.2% of its 52-week high of $16.12, and 9.1% above its 52-week
low of $5.50. Noah Holdings Limited (ADR) (NYSE:NOAH) is the fifth most oversold
U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 4.0% on the day. NOAHs upside
potential is 204.8% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $19.96.
It is trading at 32.4% of its 52-week high of $20.23, and 0.5% above its 52-week
low of $6.52. iSoftStone Holdings Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:ISS) is the sixth most
oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 3.7% on the day. ISSs
upside potential is 119.7% based on brokerage analysts average target price of
$17.20. It is trading at 34.6% of its 52-week high of $22.63, and 38.3% above
its 52-week low of $5.66. Shanda Games Limited(ADR) (NASDAQ:GAME) is the seventh
most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 3.1% on the day.
GAMEs upside potential is 65.9% based on brokerage analysts average target price
of $6.65. It is trading at 52.1% of its 52-week high of $7.70, and 15.9% above
its 52-week low of $3.46. Changyou.com Limited(ADR) (NASDAQ:CYOU) is the eighth
most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 3.1% on the day.
CYOUs upside potential is 89.6% based on brokerage analysts average target price
of $42.88. It is trading at 43.5% of its 52-week high of $52.00, and 9.2% above
its 52-week low of $20.71. Country Syl Ckng Restaurant Chain Co Ltd (NYSE:CCSC)
is the ninth most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down
3.0% on the day. CCSCs upside potential is 66.1% based on brokerage analysts
average target price of $12.12. It is trading at 28.6% of its 52-week high of
$25.54, and 10.6% above its 52-week low of $6.60. E-House (China) Holdings
Limited (ADR) (NYSE:EJ) is the 10th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on
Dec. 27. It was down 3.0% on the day. EJs upside potential is 158.2% based on
brokerage analysts average target price of $10.97. It is trading at 26.2% of its
52-week high of $16.25, and 1.0% above its 52-week low of $4.21. 21Vianet Group
Inc (NASDAQ:VNET) is the 11th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec.
27. It was down 2.8% on the day. VNETs upside potential is 96.3% based on
brokerage analysts average target price of $17.89. It is trading at 40.8% of its
52-week high of $22.33, and 9.6% above its 52-week low of $8.31. Perfect World
Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:PWRD) is the 12th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese
stock on Dec. 27. It was down 2.6% on the day. PWRDs upside potential is 118.0%
based on brokerage analysts average target price of $24.00. It is trading at
37.8% of its 52-week high of $29.10, and 22.3% above its 52-week low of $9.00.
Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ:HOLI) is the 13th most oversold
U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 2.3% on the day. HOLIs upside
potential is 91.4% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $13.13.
It is trading at 37.8% of its 52-week high of $18.15, and 51.1% above its
52-week low of $4.54. JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:JASO) is the
14th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 2.2% on the
day. JASOs upside potential is 138.2% based on brokerage analysts average target
price of $3.14. It is trading at 15.4% of its 52-week high of $8.57, and 9.1%
above its 52-week low of $1.21. China Kanghui Holdings (ADR) (NYSE:KH) is the
15th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 2.0% on the
day. KHs upside potential is 68.5% based on brokerage analysts average target
price of $24.75. It is trading at 55.4% of its 52-week high of $26.50, and 13.7%
above its 52-week low of $12.92. SINA Corporation (USA) (NASDAQ:SINA) is the
16th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 2.0% on the
day. SINAs upside potential is 92.7% based on brokerage analysts average target
price of $105.37. It is trading at 37.2% of its 52-week high of $147.12, and
16.7% above its 52-week low of $46.86. WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) Inc. (ADR)
(NYSE:WX) is the 17th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was
down 1.9% on the day. WXs upside potential is 68.8% based on brokerage analysts
average target price of $18.54. It is trading at 57.5% of its 52-week high of
$19.10, and 2.2% above its 52-week low of $10.74. Youku.com Inc (ADR)
(NYSE:YOKU) is the 18th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It
was down 1.9% on the day. YOKUs upside potential is 78.6% based on brokerage
analysts average target price of $29.14. It is trading at 23.3% of its 52-week
high of $69.95, and 18.6% above its 52-week low of $13.76. LDK Solar Co., Ltd
(ADR) (NYSE:LDK) is the 19th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27.
It was down 1.8% on the day. LDKs upside potential is -7.7% based on brokerage
analysts average target price of $4.48. It is trading at 32.4% of its 52-week
high of $14.97, and 90.2% above its 52-week low of $2.55. Giant Interactive
Group Inc (ADR) (NYSE:GA) is the 20th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on
Dec. 27. It was down 1.7% on the day. GAs upside potential is 74.4% based on
brokerage analysts average target price of $6.98. It is trading at 42.3% of its
52-week high of $9.45, and 32.5% above its 52-week low of $3.02.
(NYSE:SOL) is the most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was
down 10.2% on the day. SOLs upside potential is 90.7% based on brokerage
analysts average target price of $2.86. It is trading at 11.3% of its 52-week
high of $13.25, and 3.4% above its 52-week low of $1.45. Trina Solar Limited
(ADR) (NYSE:TSL) is the second most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec.
27. It was down 6.1% on the day. TSLs upside potential is 85.6% based on
brokerage analysts average target price of $13.07. It is trading at 22.7% of its
52-week high of $31.08, and 33.3% above its 52-week low of $5.28. Suntech Power
Holdings Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE:STP) is the third most oversold U.S.-listed
Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 6.1% on the day. STPs upside potential is
104.2% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $4.43. It is trading
at 20.0% of its 52-week high of $10.83, and 27.6% above its 52-week low of
$1.70. Jiayuan.com International Ltd (NASDAQ:DATE) is the fourth most oversold
U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 4.6% on the day. DATEs upside
potential is 153.6% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $15.22.
It is trading at 37.2% of its 52-week high of $16.12, and 9.1% above its 52-week
low of $5.50. Noah Holdings Limited (ADR) (NYSE:NOAH) is the fifth most oversold
U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 4.0% on the day. NOAHs upside
potential is 204.8% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $19.96.
It is trading at 32.4% of its 52-week high of $20.23, and 0.5% above its 52-week
low of $6.52. iSoftStone Holdings Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:ISS) is the sixth most
oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 3.7% on the day. ISSs
upside potential is 119.7% based on brokerage analysts average target price of
$17.20. It is trading at 34.6% of its 52-week high of $22.63, and 38.3% above
its 52-week low of $5.66. Shanda Games Limited(ADR) (NASDAQ:GAME) is the seventh
most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 3.1% on the day.
GAMEs upside potential is 65.9% based on brokerage analysts average target price
of $6.65. It is trading at 52.1% of its 52-week high of $7.70, and 15.9% above
its 52-week low of $3.46. Changyou.com Limited(ADR) (NASDAQ:CYOU) is the eighth
most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 3.1% on the day.
CYOUs upside potential is 89.6% based on brokerage analysts average target price
of $42.88. It is trading at 43.5% of its 52-week high of $52.00, and 9.2% above
its 52-week low of $20.71. Country Syl Ckng Restaurant Chain Co Ltd (NYSE:CCSC)
is the ninth most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down
3.0% on the day. CCSCs upside potential is 66.1% based on brokerage analysts
average target price of $12.12. It is trading at 28.6% of its 52-week high of
$25.54, and 10.6% above its 52-week low of $6.60. E-House (China) Holdings
Limited (ADR) (NYSE:EJ) is the 10th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on
Dec. 27. It was down 3.0% on the day. EJs upside potential is 158.2% based on
brokerage analysts average target price of $10.97. It is trading at 26.2% of its
52-week high of $16.25, and 1.0% above its 52-week low of $4.21. 21Vianet Group
Inc (NASDAQ:VNET) is the 11th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec.
27. It was down 2.8% on the day. VNETs upside potential is 96.3% based on
brokerage analysts average target price of $17.89. It is trading at 40.8% of its
52-week high of $22.33, and 9.6% above its 52-week low of $8.31. Perfect World
Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:PWRD) is the 12th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese
stock on Dec. 27. It was down 2.6% on the day. PWRDs upside potential is 118.0%
based on brokerage analysts average target price of $24.00. It is trading at
37.8% of its 52-week high of $29.10, and 22.3% above its 52-week low of $9.00.
Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ:HOLI) is the 13th most oversold
U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 2.3% on the day. HOLIs upside
potential is 91.4% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $13.13.
It is trading at 37.8% of its 52-week high of $18.15, and 51.1% above its
52-week low of $4.54. JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:JASO) is the
14th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 2.2% on the
day. JASOs upside potential is 138.2% based on brokerage analysts average target
price of $3.14. It is trading at 15.4% of its 52-week high of $8.57, and 9.1%
above its 52-week low of $1.21. China Kanghui Holdings (ADR) (NYSE:KH) is the
15th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 2.0% on the
day. KHs upside potential is 68.5% based on brokerage analysts average target
price of $24.75. It is trading at 55.4% of its 52-week high of $26.50, and 13.7%
above its 52-week low of $12.92. SINA Corporation (USA) (NASDAQ:SINA) is the
16th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was down 2.0% on the
day. SINAs upside potential is 92.7% based on brokerage analysts average target
price of $105.37. It is trading at 37.2% of its 52-week high of $147.12, and
16.7% above its 52-week low of $46.86. WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) Inc. (ADR)
(NYSE:WX) is the 17th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It was
down 1.9% on the day. WXs upside potential is 68.8% based on brokerage analysts
average target price of $18.54. It is trading at 57.5% of its 52-week high of
$19.10, and 2.2% above its 52-week low of $10.74. Youku.com Inc (ADR)
(NYSE:YOKU) is the 18th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27. It
was down 1.9% on the day. YOKUs upside potential is 78.6% based on brokerage
analysts average target price of $29.14. It is trading at 23.3% of its 52-week
high of $69.95, and 18.6% above its 52-week low of $13.76. LDK Solar Co., Ltd
(ADR) (NYSE:LDK) is the 19th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 27.
It was down 1.8% on the day. LDKs upside potential is -7.7% based on brokerage
analysts average target price of $4.48. It is trading at 32.4% of its 52-week
high of $14.97, and 90.2% above its 52-week low of $2.55. Giant Interactive
Group Inc (ADR) (NYSE:GA) is the 20th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on
Dec. 27. It was down 1.7% on the day. GAs upside potential is 74.4% based on
brokerage analysts average target price of $6.98. It is trading at 42.3% of its
52-week high of $9.45, and 32.5% above its 52-week low of $3.02.
Todays Gold Price per ounce Spot gold price per gram; Silver price per ounce Spot silver prices Today Close: GG Gold Stock
Gold Price and Silver Price One month Change: Gold price and silver price
trend-lines are running negatively over the course of the last several weeks.
According to one month change analysis, gold prices are negative by
approximately 6.6 percent. Silver prices are negative by about 9.5 percent over
this course of time. Silver has struggled recently and the negative trend is
broadly based. Silver price trend is negative by almost .7 percent for the YTD.
YTD change analysis for Gold price is positive by approximately 15 percent.
Current Gold and Silver Price Trends: Gold futures dipped slightly during the
last open trading session before Christmas. Today, as of the mid-day mark, gold
and silver price trends continue to move in a negative direction. Both, gold and
silver contracts were posting negative electronic values halfway through the
trading session today. Gold contract was red by .54 percent at 1597.40 per troy
ounce according to electronic posting. Silver contract for March delivery was
red by .13 percent at 29.04 per troy ounce according to mid-day electronic
posting. Spot gold price per gram/kilo: Spot gold price per gram was posting red
by .31 at 51.32. Recent price for spot gold per kilo was red by 313.79 at
51320.31. Spot Silver Price per ounce/kilo: Spot silver price per ounce was red
by .06 at 29.02 and spot silver price per kilo was red by 2.03 at 933.05 as of
mid-day trading. Contract gold and Contract Silver price per ounce Close: The
dollar fell back to the euro today and gold futures still dropped into the red
for the day. Contract gold for February delivery fell lower by about .65 percent
today to close out just under 1600 per troy ounce. Contract silver for March
delivery fell lower by 1.18 percent to finished off the day with a floor price
of 29.74 per troy ounce. Spot gold price per gram kilo: Spot gold price per gram
was posting red after close by .43 at 51.20 and spot gold price per kilo was red
at this point by 432.11 at 51201.99. Spot silver price per ounce kilo: Spot
silver price per ounce was red by .43 at 28.66 and spot silver price per kilo
was red by 13.70 at 921.38 after close. Gold Stock: GoldCorp Inc. value dropped
lower throughout the trading session. GG closed out red on the day by 1.47
percent at 44.24. The days high was 44.73 and the days low was 43.91. Overall,
it was a negative day for precious metal gold and silver. Camillo Zucari
trend-lines are running negatively over the course of the last several weeks.
According to one month change analysis, gold prices are negative by
approximately 6.6 percent. Silver prices are negative by about 9.5 percent over
this course of time. Silver has struggled recently and the negative trend is
broadly based. Silver price trend is negative by almost .7 percent for the YTD.
YTD change analysis for Gold price is positive by approximately 15 percent.
Current Gold and Silver Price Trends: Gold futures dipped slightly during the
last open trading session before Christmas. Today, as of the mid-day mark, gold
and silver price trends continue to move in a negative direction. Both, gold and
silver contracts were posting negative electronic values halfway through the
trading session today. Gold contract was red by .54 percent at 1597.40 per troy
ounce according to electronic posting. Silver contract for March delivery was
red by .13 percent at 29.04 per troy ounce according to mid-day electronic
posting. Spot gold price per gram/kilo: Spot gold price per gram was posting red
by .31 at 51.32. Recent price for spot gold per kilo was red by 313.79 at
51320.31. Spot Silver Price per ounce/kilo: Spot silver price per ounce was red
by .06 at 29.02 and spot silver price per kilo was red by 2.03 at 933.05 as of
mid-day trading. Contract gold and Contract Silver price per ounce Close: The
dollar fell back to the euro today and gold futures still dropped into the red
for the day. Contract gold for February delivery fell lower by about .65 percent
today to close out just under 1600 per troy ounce. Contract silver for March
delivery fell lower by 1.18 percent to finished off the day with a floor price
of 29.74 per troy ounce. Spot gold price per gram kilo: Spot gold price per gram
was posting red after close by .43 at 51.20 and spot gold price per kilo was red
at this point by 432.11 at 51201.99. Spot silver price per ounce kilo: Spot
silver price per ounce was red by .43 at 28.66 and spot silver price per kilo
was red by 13.70 at 921.38 after close. Gold Stock: GoldCorp Inc. value dropped
lower throughout the trading session. GG closed out red on the day by 1.47
percent at 44.24. The days high was 44.73 and the days low was 43.91. Overall,
it was a negative day for precious metal gold and silver. Camillo Zucari
Futures Offer a Fast and Liquid Market
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tdp2664 InvestorPlace Options on futures. In some ways, they just about replicate the "Regular Stock Option Experience" but there are some really profitable ways to use futures if you know what to look for. All options give you the right, but not the obligation, to buy (if calls) or sell (if puts) a specified quantity of some underlying instrument. An option on a stock or exchange-traded fund is quite simple in this regard. Say in mid-July you owned 1 August 135 call in SPY — the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSE: SPY ) that tracks the S&P 500 Index. The SPY was one-tenth the value of the S&P 500, so it would be trading around $135 if the index was near 1,350. As a call option owner, you had the right (but not the obligation) to buy 100 shares of SPY at $135 sometime between mid-July and August expiration, which occurs at the close of the third Friday of August (Aug. 19 this year). Obviously if SPY closed above $135 on expiration, you would have exercised your right to buy SPY at $135, or you might sell your call. Given the market's turmoil, however, you would have let your call expire without acting on it — eating your fee, but not wiping out your portfolio as the SPY crashed as low as $112 in August 2011. A SPY call, or a call on anything for that matter, has a nice risk/reward backdrop. Your gains are theoretically boundless, whereas your losses are limited to the amount you paid for the call. This gets into two important distinctions of being long an option and being long the stock or ETF. First, options are cheaper than the underlying, giving the holder greater leverage. Second, the careful holder can get in and out of his position without taking ownership of the underlying security. There are a number of trading vehicles linked to the S&P 500 Index because of its influence and popularity. One of the most active is CBOE S&P 500 Index Options (CBOE: SPX ). The SPX is 10 times the price of the SPY. In many ways, SPY tracks SPX, and the two pretty much move exactly in line. If SPX moves up 10 points, SPY moves up one, and if SPX drops 10, SPY drops 1. The F utures Advantage But the options on SPX are very different from the options on SPY. They are futures options, and here's the advantage of this product over standard options: Instead of getting delivery of a stock (or basket of stocks in this case) you theoretically get delivery of the corresponding SPX future. Except the future itself simply cash settles. So if you had owned 1 SPX August 1350 Call, and SPX closed above $1,350 — say $1,355 — you would have collected the $5 cash difference. You need no extra money to settle the SPX call and you have no residual position once SPX expires. In contrast, if you had exercised that SPY August 135 Call and taken delivery of SPY, you would have needed to put up the bucks to own the basket of stocks in the index, or more precisely, the percentage of stock that each makes up of the S&P 500 Index. That might be a choice for an institutional investor, but few of the rest of us are interested in that. (Just to be clear, few SPY options traders decide to take delivery but instead sell their profitable long position and pocket the profits.) One solid resource for futures products is the CME Group , the exchange that lists many of the most liquid futures products. It products include futures on metals , a slew of energy and oil products , foreign currencies and interest rates . The Futures Negative The pitfalls for retail investors around any cash-settled option like SPX often come back to settlement and expiration. For instance, SPX options stop trading on the close of Thursday, then settle on the open of Friday, so you run the risk of a market move between Thursday’s close and Friday’s open. This can work against or for the investor, depending on the move, but you are left somewhat helpless overnight. SPX futures and options settle on the opening “print” on expiration Friday. This is a calculated price based on the opening quote in each of the 500 stocks that comprise the index. This is another unpredictable number that can work for or against the investor. To me, these are both outsized bets on a rather random outcome — one I would never make. I would close out before the options stop trading and let someone else roll the dice. Testing the Waters Keep in mind this article is just one narrow comparison of futures to “regular” options. Futures options come in many shapes and sizes and have all sorts of unique mechanisms. As a general rule, it comes down to the terms of the futures themselves. If it's gold and the future gives you delivery of a troy ounce of gold somewhere, so will the options on that future. These trading products are all pretty unique, and nowadays just about all have an ETF or ETN alternative, so use the product that fits your needs the best. You may want to test the waters and compare futures options on say, gold, crude oil, and Treasury bonds to ETFs and ETNs like the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD ), the U.S. Oil Fund (NYSE: USO ) and the iShares Barclays 20 Year Treasury Bond (NYSE: TLT ). This is a good opportunity to see how the game is played — and if it's something that appeals to you, you can start opening your own contracts to meet your own investment style. Follow Adam Warner on Twitter at @agwarner .
Are Recent Chinese, Indian Events Bearish for Gold?
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
DG365FD46564GFH654FU898 Developments over the past week in both China and India could have bearish implications for the price of gold, according to a recent report by TD Securities. In a note to clients this morning, precious metals strategist Steve Scacalossi wrote that “After the Christmas weekend the precious metals complex drifted lower. Gold opened right on it’s day highs and never looked back with a deluge of sell orders towards $1,607. This is somewhat surprising given news yesterday out of China where the head of research for the Peoples Bank of China was quoted as saying that the country should buy more gold when prices are relatively low. Support for gold is at $1,575 and then major support at $1,500 as per today’s chart.” The TD strategist added that “In other news, China has restricted gold spot and futures trading to the Shanghai Gold Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange as part of efforts to crack down on illegal buying and selling of commodities." As for India, Scacalossi noted that “"Indian gold demand may drop as much as 50% in December after a plunge in the reminbi drives up local prices. Imports may total 35-40 tons this month compared with 70-75 tons a year ago as per the Bombay Bullion Association.” From a technical perspective, he contended that “Gold has broken short term support and is vulnerable to a test of 1560.” View post: Are Recent Chinese, Indian Events Bearish for Gold?
Gold, Silver Shares Retreat, XAU Falls 1.3%
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
DG365FD46564GFH654FU898 Gold and silver shares turned lower alongside precious metals on Tuesday, as the Philadelphia Gold & Silver Index (XAU) retreated 1.3% to 182.81 in mid-day trading. The XAU is coming off its first weekly advance in three, but with today’s sell-off extended its loss in December to 12.2%. Furthermore, the XAU is now lower by 19.3% on a year-to-date basis and on pace for its first annual decline since 2008. Notable gold stocks in the red on Tuesday included Angico-Eagle Mines (AEM) and Randgold Resources (GOLD).
5 Biggest Market Blunders of 2011
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tdp2664 InvestorPlace Santa Claus has come and gone, but not everyone received pleasantly wrapped gifts under the tree. No, some were given a lump of coal for their blunders, mishaps and misdeeds. In fact, I can't remember a time when it was so easy to find so many bad market blunders to choose from when compiling my annual list of the worst of the worst missteps. In 2011, we saw bad management, bad decisions, bad calls, bogus data and what could possibly be criminal malfeasance by an über high-profile Wall Street titan: #5: NAR's Bogus Real Estate Numbers In December, we received word from the National Association of Realtors that they had overestimated their existing home sales metric — for the past four years! The NAR revised existing home sales 14% lower since 2007, a drop that represents the loss of more than 2 million sales from the original bogus data. These numbers tell us that: The nation's housing market is a lot tougher than we originally thought. The credibility of the NAR's data cannot be trusted. Whether just an error in calculation or an attempt to put a positive spin on the numbers, the NAR's existing home sales revision is a reminder to be skeptical of trade groups created to promote an industry. #4: Research In Motion's Decline A few years ago, it was virtually unthinkable that Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM ) would be a cellar-dwelling stock replete with takeover rumors, but that's how far down the BlackBerry maker has fallen in 2011. The stock has lost 76% year-to-date and now trades at an eight-year low. The popularity of Apple 's (NASDAQ: AAPL ) iPhone and Google 's (NASDAQ: GOOG ) Android-operated smartphones made the BlackBerry far less popular in 2011. Then there was the massive worldwide service outage in October that lasted about three days, which then was followed by a not-so-well-received apology and offer of free BlackBerry apps. Research In Motion's troubles in 2011 show us that no company — and no stock — is immune from suffering a devastating defeat. #3: Netflix's Double Whammy Sometimes good CEOs make horrible decisions. That can certainly be said of Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX ) CEO Reed Hastings, who made two very poor decisions this year that caused the value of his company's stock to sink 60% in 2011. The Netflix decline began in earnest when the company raised its subscription price . That didn't go down well with subscribers — or Wall Street — but even worse was the company's launch of a new business called Qwikster . The theory was that Qwikster would operate the company's DVD rentals, while Netflix would concentrate on digital streaming. The problem was that customers would now have to deal with multiple accounts, multiple credit card charges and multiple headaches. After hearing a resounding chorus of negatives, Hastings pulled the plug on Qwikster, but by then the damage had been done . #2: Meredith Whitney's Bad Bond Call This year wasn't very kind to famed analyst Meredith Whitney. Last December, the proprietor of the Meredith Whitney Advisory Group appeared in a now-infamous 60 Minutes interview where she proffered a dire warning about the coming wave of municipal defaults that would bring down the muni-bond market. But rather than the hundreds of defaults predicted by Whitney, there were virtually no municipal bond defaults in 2011. As a matter of fact, municipal bonds were one of the best-performing asset classes this year. I think Whitney is a brilliant analyst with keen insights, but the fact is that her bond call for 2011 never materialized, and those who followed her advice missed out on a lot of gains. Of course, Whitney could turn out to be correct on her muni-bond default call, and if she is I'll be among the first to say she was right. But in 2011, her bad bond call turned out to be one of the biggest market blunders of the year. #1: John Corzine $1.2B Vanishing Act The bankruptcy and alleged fiscal malfeasance at securities firm MF Global shook the financial world. Former Democrat New Jersey governor, former U.S. senator and former Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS ) chief John Corzine was put in the hot seat by Congress to explain what happened to the $1.2 billion in missing customer funds. Corzine famously told Congress, "I simply do not know where the money is." That sad coda came after thousands of investors lost big money in MF Global, and after more than 1,000 employees were laid off when the brokerage house went bust in October. This infuriating story demonstrates that even politically connected Wall Street titans can put investor capital in jeopardy . Because of the size, scope and negative implications the MF Global meltdown has had on investors on Main Street and Wall Street, Jon Corzine and his firm's bankruptcy easily win the award for biggest market blunder of the year. This article originally appeared on Traders Reserve .
Futures Offer a Fast and Liquid Market
Options on futures. In some ways, they just about replicate the "Regular
Stock Option Experience" but there are some really profitable ways to use
futures if you know what to look for. All options give you the right, but not
the obligation, to buy (if calls) or sell (if puts) a specified quantity of some
underlying instrument. An option on a stock or exchange-traded fund is quite
simple in this regard. Say in mid-July you owned 1 August 135 call in SPY the
SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSE: SPY ) that tracks the S&P 500 Index. The SPY was
one-tenth the value of the S&P 500, so it would be trading around $135 if the
index was near 1,350. As a call option owner, you had the right (but not the
obligation) to buy 100 shares of SPY at $135 sometime between mid-July and
August expiration, which occurs at the close of the third Friday of August (Aug.
19 this year). Obviously if SPY closed above $135 on expiration, you would have
exercised your right to buy SPY at $135, or you might sell your call. Given the
market's turmoil, however, you would have let your call expire without acting
on it eating your fee, but not wiping out your portfolio as the SPY crashed as
low as $112 in August 2011. A SPY call, or a call on anything for that matter,
has a nice risk/reward backdrop. Your gains are theoretically boundless, whereas
your losses are limited to the amount you paid for the call. This gets into two
important distinctions of being long an option and being long the stock or ETF.
First, options are cheaper than the underlying, giving the holder greater
leverage. Second, the careful holder can get in and out of his position without
taking ownership of the underlying security. There are a number of trading
vehicles linked to the S&P 500 Index because of its influence and popularity.
One of the most active is CBOE S&P 500 Index Options (CBOE: SPX ). The SPX is 10
times the price of the SPY. In many ways, SPY tracks SPX, and the two pretty
much move exactly in line. If SPX moves up 10 points, SPY moves up one, and if
SPX drops 10, SPY drops 1. The F utures Advantage But the options on SPX are
very different from the options on SPY. They are futures options, and here's
the advantage of this product over standard options: Instead of getting delivery
of a stock (or basket of stocks in this case) you theoretically get delivery of
the corresponding SPX future. Except the future itself simply cash settles. So
if you had owned 1 SPX August 1350 Call, and SPX closed above $1,350 say $1,355
you would have collected the $5 cash difference. You need no extra money to
settle the SPX call and you have no residual position once SPX expires. In
contrast, if you had exercised that SPY August 135 Call and taken delivery of
SPY, you would have needed to put up the bucks to own the basket of stocks in
the index, or more precisely, the percentage of stock that each makes up of the
S&P 500 Index. That might be a choice for an institutional investor, but few of
the rest of us are interested in that. (Just to be clear, few SPY options
traders decide to take delivery but instead sell their profitable long position
and pocket the profits.) One solid resource for futures products is the CME
Group , the exchange that lists many of the most liquid futures products. It
products include futures on metals , a slew of energy and oil products , foreign
currencies and interest rates . The Futures Negative The pitfalls for retail
investors around any cash-settled option like SPX often come back to settlement
and expiration. For instance, SPX options stop trading on the close of Thursday,
then settle on the open of Friday, so you run the risk of a market move between
Thursdays close and Fridays open. This can work against or for the investor,
depending on the move, but you are left somewhat helpless overnight. SPX futures
and options settle on the opening print on expiration Friday. This is a
calculated price based on the opening quote in each of the 500 stocks that
comprise the index. This is another unpredictable number that can work for or
against the investor. To me, these are both outsized bets on a rather random
outcome one I would never make. I would close out before the options stop
trading and let someone else roll the dice. Testing the Waters Keep in mind this
article is just one narrow comparison of futures to regular options. Futures
options come in many shapes and sizes and have all sorts of unique mechanisms.
As a general rule, it comes down to the terms of the futures themselves. If
it's gold and the future gives you delivery of a troy ounce of gold somewhere,
so will the options on that future. These trading products are all pretty
unique, and nowadays just about all have an ETF or ETN alternative, so use the
product that fits your needs the best. You may want to test the waters and
compare futures options on say, gold, crude oil, and Treasury bonds to ETFs and
ETNs like the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD ), the U.S. Oil Fund (NYSE: USO ) and
the iShares Barclays 20 Year Treasury Bond (NYSE: TLT ). This is a good
opportunity to see how the game is played and if it's something that appeals
to you, you can start opening your own contracts to meet your own investment
style. Follow Adam Warner on Twitter at @agwarner .
Stock Option Experience" but there are some really profitable ways to use
futures if you know what to look for. All options give you the right, but not
the obligation, to buy (if calls) or sell (if puts) a specified quantity of some
underlying instrument. An option on a stock or exchange-traded fund is quite
simple in this regard. Say in mid-July you owned 1 August 135 call in SPY the
SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSE: SPY ) that tracks the S&P 500 Index. The SPY was
one-tenth the value of the S&P 500, so it would be trading around $135 if the
index was near 1,350. As a call option owner, you had the right (but not the
obligation) to buy 100 shares of SPY at $135 sometime between mid-July and
August expiration, which occurs at the close of the third Friday of August (Aug.
19 this year). Obviously if SPY closed above $135 on expiration, you would have
exercised your right to buy SPY at $135, or you might sell your call. Given the
market's turmoil, however, you would have let your call expire without acting
on it eating your fee, but not wiping out your portfolio as the SPY crashed as
low as $112 in August 2011. A SPY call, or a call on anything for that matter,
has a nice risk/reward backdrop. Your gains are theoretically boundless, whereas
your losses are limited to the amount you paid for the call. This gets into two
important distinctions of being long an option and being long the stock or ETF.
First, options are cheaper than the underlying, giving the holder greater
leverage. Second, the careful holder can get in and out of his position without
taking ownership of the underlying security. There are a number of trading
vehicles linked to the S&P 500 Index because of its influence and popularity.
One of the most active is CBOE S&P 500 Index Options (CBOE: SPX ). The SPX is 10
times the price of the SPY. In many ways, SPY tracks SPX, and the two pretty
much move exactly in line. If SPX moves up 10 points, SPY moves up one, and if
SPX drops 10, SPY drops 1. The F utures Advantage But the options on SPX are
very different from the options on SPY. They are futures options, and here's
the advantage of this product over standard options: Instead of getting delivery
of a stock (or basket of stocks in this case) you theoretically get delivery of
the corresponding SPX future. Except the future itself simply cash settles. So
if you had owned 1 SPX August 1350 Call, and SPX closed above $1,350 say $1,355
you would have collected the $5 cash difference. You need no extra money to
settle the SPX call and you have no residual position once SPX expires. In
contrast, if you had exercised that SPY August 135 Call and taken delivery of
SPY, you would have needed to put up the bucks to own the basket of stocks in
the index, or more precisely, the percentage of stock that each makes up of the
S&P 500 Index. That might be a choice for an institutional investor, but few of
the rest of us are interested in that. (Just to be clear, few SPY options
traders decide to take delivery but instead sell their profitable long position
and pocket the profits.) One solid resource for futures products is the CME
Group , the exchange that lists many of the most liquid futures products. It
products include futures on metals , a slew of energy and oil products , foreign
currencies and interest rates . The Futures Negative The pitfalls for retail
investors around any cash-settled option like SPX often come back to settlement
and expiration. For instance, SPX options stop trading on the close of Thursday,
then settle on the open of Friday, so you run the risk of a market move between
Thursdays close and Fridays open. This can work against or for the investor,
depending on the move, but you are left somewhat helpless overnight. SPX futures
and options settle on the opening print on expiration Friday. This is a
calculated price based on the opening quote in each of the 500 stocks that
comprise the index. This is another unpredictable number that can work for or
against the investor. To me, these are both outsized bets on a rather random
outcome one I would never make. I would close out before the options stop
trading and let someone else roll the dice. Testing the Waters Keep in mind this
article is just one narrow comparison of futures to regular options. Futures
options come in many shapes and sizes and have all sorts of unique mechanisms.
As a general rule, it comes down to the terms of the futures themselves. If
it's gold and the future gives you delivery of a troy ounce of gold somewhere,
so will the options on that future. These trading products are all pretty
unique, and nowadays just about all have an ETF or ETN alternative, so use the
product that fits your needs the best. You may want to test the waters and
compare futures options on say, gold, crude oil, and Treasury bonds to ETFs and
ETNs like the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD ), the U.S. Oil Fund (NYSE: USO ) and
the iShares Barclays 20 Year Treasury Bond (NYSE: TLT ). This is a good
opportunity to see how the game is played and if it's something that appeals
to you, you can start opening your own contracts to meet your own investment
style. Follow Adam Warner on Twitter at @agwarner .
Futures Offer a Fast and Liquid Market
Options on futures. In some ways, they just about replicate the "Regular
Stock Option Experience" but there are some really profitable ways to use
futures if you know what to look for. All options give you the right, but not
the obligation, to buy (if calls) or sell (if puts) a specified quantity of some
underlying instrument. An option on a stock or exchange-traded fund is quite
simple in this regard. Say in mid-July you owned 1 August 135 call in SPY the
SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSE: SPY ) that tracks the S&P 500 Index. The SPY was
one-tenth the value of the S&P 500, so it would be trading around $135 if the
index was near 1,350. As a call option owner, you had the right (but not the
obligation) to buy 100 shares of SPY at $135 sometime between mid-July and
August expiration, which occurs at the close of the third Friday of August (Aug.
19 this year). Obviously if SPY closed above $135 on expiration, you would have
exercised your right to buy SPY at $135, or you might sell your call. Given the
market's turmoil, however, you would have let your call expire without acting
on it eating your fee, but not wiping out your portfolio as the SPY crashed as
low as $112 in August 2011. A SPY call, or a call on anything for that matter,
has a nice risk/reward backdrop. Your gains are theoretically boundless, whereas
your losses are limited to the amount you paid for the call. This gets into two
important distinctions of being long an option and being long the stock or ETF.
First, options are cheaper than the underlying, giving the holder greater
leverage. Second, the careful holder can get in and out of his position without
taking ownership of the underlying security. There are a number of trading
vehicles linked to the S&P 500 Index because of its influence and popularity.
One of the most active is CBOE S&P 500 Index Options (CBOE: SPX ). The SPX is 10
times the price of the SPY. In many ways, SPY tracks SPX, and the two pretty
much move exactly in line. If SPX moves up 10 points, SPY moves up one, and if
SPX drops 10, SPY drops 1. The F utures Advantage But the options on SPX are
very different from the options on SPY. They are futures options, and here's
the advantage of this product over standard options: Instead of getting delivery
of a stock (or basket of stocks in this case) you theoretically get delivery of
the corresponding SPX future. Except the future itself simply cash settles. So
if you had owned 1 SPX August 1350 Call, and SPX closed above $1,350 say $1,355
you would have collected the $5 cash difference. You need no extra money to
settle the SPX call and you have no residual position once SPX expires. In
contrast, if you had exercised that SPY August 135 Call and taken delivery of
SPY, you would have needed to put up the bucks to own the basket of stocks in
the index, or more precisely, the percentage of stock that each makes up of the
S&P 500 Index. That might be a choice for an institutional investor, but few of
the rest of us are interested in that. (Just to be clear, few SPY options
traders decide to take delivery but instead sell their profitable long position
and pocket the profits.) One solid resource for futures products is the CME
Group , the exchange that lists many of the most liquid futures products. It
products include futures on metals , a slew of energy and oil products , foreign
currencies and interest rates . The Futures Negative The pitfalls for retail
investors around any cash-settled option like SPX often come back to settlement
and expiration. For instance, SPX options stop trading on the close of Thursday,
then settle on the open of Friday, so you run the risk of a market move between
Thursdays close and Fridays open. This can work against or for the investor,
depending on the move, but you are left somewhat helpless overnight. SPX futures
and options settle on the opening print on expiration Friday. This is a
calculated price based on the opening quote in each of the 500 stocks that
comprise the index. This is another unpredictable number that can work for or
against the investor. To me, these are both outsized bets on a rather random
outcome one I would never make. I would close out before the options stop
trading and let someone else roll the dice. Testing the Waters Keep in mind this
article is just one narrow comparison of futures to regular options. Futures
options come in many shapes and sizes and have all sorts of unique mechanisms.
As a general rule, it comes down to the terms of the futures themselves. If
it's gold and the future gives you delivery of a troy ounce of gold somewhere,
so will the options on that future. These trading products are all pretty
unique, and nowadays just about all have an ETF or ETN alternative, so use the
product that fits your needs the best. You may want to test the waters and
compare futures options on say, gold, crude oil, and Treasury bonds to ETFs and
ETNs like the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD ), the U.S. Oil Fund (NYSE: USO ) and
the iShares Barclays 20 Year Treasury Bond (NYSE: TLT ). This is a good
opportunity to see how the game is played and if it's something that appeals
to you, you can start opening your own contracts to meet your own investment
style. Follow Adam Warner on Twitter at @agwarner .
Stock Option Experience" but there are some really profitable ways to use
futures if you know what to look for. All options give you the right, but not
the obligation, to buy (if calls) or sell (if puts) a specified quantity of some
underlying instrument. An option on a stock or exchange-traded fund is quite
simple in this regard. Say in mid-July you owned 1 August 135 call in SPY the
SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSE: SPY ) that tracks the S&P 500 Index. The SPY was
one-tenth the value of the S&P 500, so it would be trading around $135 if the
index was near 1,350. As a call option owner, you had the right (but not the
obligation) to buy 100 shares of SPY at $135 sometime between mid-July and
August expiration, which occurs at the close of the third Friday of August (Aug.
19 this year). Obviously if SPY closed above $135 on expiration, you would have
exercised your right to buy SPY at $135, or you might sell your call. Given the
market's turmoil, however, you would have let your call expire without acting
on it eating your fee, but not wiping out your portfolio as the SPY crashed as
low as $112 in August 2011. A SPY call, or a call on anything for that matter,
has a nice risk/reward backdrop. Your gains are theoretically boundless, whereas
your losses are limited to the amount you paid for the call. This gets into two
important distinctions of being long an option and being long the stock or ETF.
First, options are cheaper than the underlying, giving the holder greater
leverage. Second, the careful holder can get in and out of his position without
taking ownership of the underlying security. There are a number of trading
vehicles linked to the S&P 500 Index because of its influence and popularity.
One of the most active is CBOE S&P 500 Index Options (CBOE: SPX ). The SPX is 10
times the price of the SPY. In many ways, SPY tracks SPX, and the two pretty
much move exactly in line. If SPX moves up 10 points, SPY moves up one, and if
SPX drops 10, SPY drops 1. The F utures Advantage But the options on SPX are
very different from the options on SPY. They are futures options, and here's
the advantage of this product over standard options: Instead of getting delivery
of a stock (or basket of stocks in this case) you theoretically get delivery of
the corresponding SPX future. Except the future itself simply cash settles. So
if you had owned 1 SPX August 1350 Call, and SPX closed above $1,350 say $1,355
you would have collected the $5 cash difference. You need no extra money to
settle the SPX call and you have no residual position once SPX expires. In
contrast, if you had exercised that SPY August 135 Call and taken delivery of
SPY, you would have needed to put up the bucks to own the basket of stocks in
the index, or more precisely, the percentage of stock that each makes up of the
S&P 500 Index. That might be a choice for an institutional investor, but few of
the rest of us are interested in that. (Just to be clear, few SPY options
traders decide to take delivery but instead sell their profitable long position
and pocket the profits.) One solid resource for futures products is the CME
Group , the exchange that lists many of the most liquid futures products. It
products include futures on metals , a slew of energy and oil products , foreign
currencies and interest rates . The Futures Negative The pitfalls for retail
investors around any cash-settled option like SPX often come back to settlement
and expiration. For instance, SPX options stop trading on the close of Thursday,
then settle on the open of Friday, so you run the risk of a market move between
Thursdays close and Fridays open. This can work against or for the investor,
depending on the move, but you are left somewhat helpless overnight. SPX futures
and options settle on the opening print on expiration Friday. This is a
calculated price based on the opening quote in each of the 500 stocks that
comprise the index. This is another unpredictable number that can work for or
against the investor. To me, these are both outsized bets on a rather random
outcome one I would never make. I would close out before the options stop
trading and let someone else roll the dice. Testing the Waters Keep in mind this
article is just one narrow comparison of futures to regular options. Futures
options come in many shapes and sizes and have all sorts of unique mechanisms.
As a general rule, it comes down to the terms of the futures themselves. If
it's gold and the future gives you delivery of a troy ounce of gold somewhere,
so will the options on that future. These trading products are all pretty
unique, and nowadays just about all have an ETF or ETN alternative, so use the
product that fits your needs the best. You may want to test the waters and
compare futures options on say, gold, crude oil, and Treasury bonds to ETFs and
ETNs like the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD ), the U.S. Oil Fund (NYSE: USO ) and
the iShares Barclays 20 Year Treasury Bond (NYSE: TLT ). This is a good
opportunity to see how the game is played and if it's something that appeals
to you, you can start opening your own contracts to meet your own investment
style. Follow Adam Warner on Twitter at @agwarner .
5 Biggest Market Blunders of 2011
Santa Claus has come and gone, but not everyone received pleasantly wrapped
gifts under the tree. No, some were given a lump of coal for their blunders,
mishaps and misdeeds. In fact, I can't remember a time when it was so easy to
find so many bad market blunders to choose from when compiling my annual list of
the worst of the worst missteps. In 2011, we saw bad management, bad decisions,
bad calls, bogus data and what could possibly be criminal malfeasance by an
über high-profile Wall Street titan: #5: NAR's Bogus Real Estate Numbers In
December, we received word from the National Association of Realtors that they
had overestimated their existing home sales metric for the past four years! The
NAR revised existing home sales 14% lower since 2007, a drop that represents the
loss of more than 2 million sales from the original bogus data. These numbers
tell us that: The nation's housing market is a lot tougher than we originally
thought. The credibility of the NAR's data cannot be trusted. Whether just an
error in calculation or an attempt to put a positive spin on the numbers, the
NAR's existing home sales revision is a reminder to be skeptical of trade
groups created to promote an industry. #4: Research In Motion's Decline A few
years ago, it was virtually unthinkable that Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM )
would be a cellar-dwelling stock replete with takeover rumors, but that's how
far down the BlackBerry maker has fallen in 2011. The stock has lost 76%
year-to-date and now trades at an eight-year low. The popularity of Apple 's
(NASDAQ: AAPL ) iPhone and Google 's (NASDAQ: GOOG ) Android-operated
smartphones made the BlackBerry far less popular in 2011. Then there was the
massive worldwide service outage in October that lasted about three days, which
then was followed by a not-so-well-received apology and offer of free BlackBerry
apps. Research In Motion's troubles in 2011 show us that no company and no
stock is immune from suffering a devastating defeat. #3: Netflix's Double
Whammy Sometimes good CEOs make horrible decisions. That can certainly be said
of Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX ) CEO Reed Hastings, who made two very poor decisions
this year that caused the value of his company's stock to sink 60% in 2011.
The Netflix decline began in earnest when the company raised its subscription
price . That didn't go down well with subscribers or Wall Street but even
worse was the company's launch of a new business called Qwikster . The theory
was that Qwikster would operate the company's DVD rentals, while Netflix would
concentrate on digital streaming. The problem was that customers would now have
to deal with multiple accounts, multiple credit card charges and multiple
headaches. After hearing a resounding chorus of negatives, Hastings pulled the
plug on Qwikster, but by then the damage had been done . #2: Meredith
Whitney's Bad Bond Call This year wasn't very kind to famed analyst Meredith
Whitney. Last December, the proprietor of the Meredith Whitney Advisory Group
appeared in a now-infamous 60 Minutes interview where she proffered a dire
warning about the coming wave of municipal defaults that would bring down the
muni-bond market. But rather than the hundreds of defaults predicted by Whitney,
there were virtually no municipal bond defaults in 2011. As a matter of fact,
municipal bonds were one of the best-performing asset classes this year. I think
Whitney is a brilliant analyst with keen insights, but the fact is that her bond
call for 2011 never materialized, and those who followed her advice missed out
on a lot of gains. Of course, Whitney could turn out to be correct on her
muni-bond default call, and if she is I'll be among the first to say she was
right. But in 2011, her bad bond call turned out to be one of the biggest market
blunders of the year. #1: John Corzine $1.2B Vanishing Act The bankruptcy and
alleged fiscal malfeasance at securities firm MF Global shook the financial
world. Former Democrat New Jersey governor, former U.S. senator and former
Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS ) chief John Corzine was put in the hot seat by Congress
to explain what happened to the $1.2 billion in missing customer funds. Corzine
famously told Congress, "I simply do not know where the money is." That sad
coda came after thousands of investors lost big money in MF Global, and after
more than 1,000 employees were laid off when the brokerage house went bust in
October. This infuriating story demonstrates that even politically connected
Wall Street titans can put investor capital in jeopardy . Because of the size,
scope and negative implications the MF Global meltdown has had on investors on
Main Street and Wall Street, Jon Corzine and his firm's bankruptcy easily win
the award for biggest market blunder of the year. This article originally
appeared on Traders Reserve .
gifts under the tree. No, some were given a lump of coal for their blunders,
mishaps and misdeeds. In fact, I can't remember a time when it was so easy to
find so many bad market blunders to choose from when compiling my annual list of
the worst of the worst missteps. In 2011, we saw bad management, bad decisions,
bad calls, bogus data and what could possibly be criminal malfeasance by an
über high-profile Wall Street titan: #5: NAR's Bogus Real Estate Numbers In
December, we received word from the National Association of Realtors that they
had overestimated their existing home sales metric for the past four years! The
NAR revised existing home sales 14% lower since 2007, a drop that represents the
loss of more than 2 million sales from the original bogus data. These numbers
tell us that: The nation's housing market is a lot tougher than we originally
thought. The credibility of the NAR's data cannot be trusted. Whether just an
error in calculation or an attempt to put a positive spin on the numbers, the
NAR's existing home sales revision is a reminder to be skeptical of trade
groups created to promote an industry. #4: Research In Motion's Decline A few
years ago, it was virtually unthinkable that Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM )
would be a cellar-dwelling stock replete with takeover rumors, but that's how
far down the BlackBerry maker has fallen in 2011. The stock has lost 76%
year-to-date and now trades at an eight-year low. The popularity of Apple 's
(NASDAQ: AAPL ) iPhone and Google 's (NASDAQ: GOOG ) Android-operated
smartphones made the BlackBerry far less popular in 2011. Then there was the
massive worldwide service outage in October that lasted about three days, which
then was followed by a not-so-well-received apology and offer of free BlackBerry
apps. Research In Motion's troubles in 2011 show us that no company and no
stock is immune from suffering a devastating defeat. #3: Netflix's Double
Whammy Sometimes good CEOs make horrible decisions. That can certainly be said
of Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX ) CEO Reed Hastings, who made two very poor decisions
this year that caused the value of his company's stock to sink 60% in 2011.
The Netflix decline began in earnest when the company raised its subscription
price . That didn't go down well with subscribers or Wall Street but even
worse was the company's launch of a new business called Qwikster . The theory
was that Qwikster would operate the company's DVD rentals, while Netflix would
concentrate on digital streaming. The problem was that customers would now have
to deal with multiple accounts, multiple credit card charges and multiple
headaches. After hearing a resounding chorus of negatives, Hastings pulled the
plug on Qwikster, but by then the damage had been done . #2: Meredith
Whitney's Bad Bond Call This year wasn't very kind to famed analyst Meredith
Whitney. Last December, the proprietor of the Meredith Whitney Advisory Group
appeared in a now-infamous 60 Minutes interview where she proffered a dire
warning about the coming wave of municipal defaults that would bring down the
muni-bond market. But rather than the hundreds of defaults predicted by Whitney,
there were virtually no municipal bond defaults in 2011. As a matter of fact,
municipal bonds were one of the best-performing asset classes this year. I think
Whitney is a brilliant analyst with keen insights, but the fact is that her bond
call for 2011 never materialized, and those who followed her advice missed out
on a lot of gains. Of course, Whitney could turn out to be correct on her
muni-bond default call, and if she is I'll be among the first to say she was
right. But in 2011, her bad bond call turned out to be one of the biggest market
blunders of the year. #1: John Corzine $1.2B Vanishing Act The bankruptcy and
alleged fiscal malfeasance at securities firm MF Global shook the financial
world. Former Democrat New Jersey governor, former U.S. senator and former
Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS ) chief John Corzine was put in the hot seat by Congress
to explain what happened to the $1.2 billion in missing customer funds. Corzine
famously told Congress, "I simply do not know where the money is." That sad
coda came after thousands of investors lost big money in MF Global, and after
more than 1,000 employees were laid off when the brokerage house went bust in
October. This infuriating story demonstrates that even politically connected
Wall Street titans can put investor capital in jeopardy . Because of the size,
scope and negative implications the MF Global meltdown has had on investors on
Main Street and Wall Street, Jon Corzine and his firm's bankruptcy easily win
the award for biggest market blunder of the year. This article originally
appeared on Traders Reserve .
5 Biggest Market Blunders of 2011
Santa Claus has come and gone, but not everyone received pleasantly wrapped
gifts under the tree. No, some were given a lump of coal for their blunders,
mishaps and misdeeds. In fact, I can't remember a time when it was so easy to
find so many bad market blunders to choose from when compiling my annual list of
the worst of the worst missteps. In 2011, we saw bad management, bad decisions,
bad calls, bogus data and what could possibly be criminal malfeasance by an
über high-profile Wall Street titan: #5: NAR's Bogus Real Estate Numbers In
December, we received word from the National Association of Realtors that they
had overestimated their existing home sales metric for the past four years! The
NAR revised existing home sales 14% lower since 2007, a drop that represents the
loss of more than 2 million sales from the original bogus data. These numbers
tell us that: The nation's housing market is a lot tougher than we originally
thought. The credibility of the NAR's data cannot be trusted. Whether just an
error in calculation or an attempt to put a positive spin on the numbers, the
NAR's existing home sales revision is a reminder to be skeptical of trade
groups created to promote an industry. #4: Research In Motion's Decline A few
years ago, it was virtually unthinkable that Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM )
would be a cellar-dwelling stock replete with takeover rumors, but that's how
far down the BlackBerry maker has fallen in 2011. The stock has lost 76%
year-to-date and now trades at an eight-year low. The popularity of Apple 's
(NASDAQ: AAPL ) iPhone and Google 's (NASDAQ: GOOG ) Android-operated
smartphones made the BlackBerry far less popular in 2011. Then there was the
massive worldwide service outage in October that lasted about three days, which
then was followed by a not-so-well-received apology and offer of free BlackBerry
apps. Research In Motion's troubles in 2011 show us that no company and no
stock is immune from suffering a devastating defeat. #3: Netflix's Double
Whammy Sometimes good CEOs make horrible decisions. That can certainly be said
of Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX ) CEO Reed Hastings, who made two very poor decisions
this year that caused the value of his company's stock to sink 60% in 2011.
The Netflix decline began in earnest when the company raised its subscription
price . That didn't go down well with subscribers or Wall Street but even
worse was the company's launch of a new business called Qwikster . The theory
was that Qwikster would operate the company's DVD rentals, while Netflix would
concentrate on digital streaming. The problem was that customers would now have
to deal with multiple accounts, multiple credit card charges and multiple
headaches. After hearing a resounding chorus of negatives, Hastings pulled the
plug on Qwikster, but by then the damage had been done . #2: Meredith
Whitney's Bad Bond Call This year wasn't very kind to famed analyst Meredith
Whitney. Last December, the proprietor of the Meredith Whitney Advisory Group
appeared in a now-infamous 60 Minutes interview where she proffered a dire
warning about the coming wave of municipal defaults that would bring down the
muni-bond market. But rather than the hundreds of defaults predicted by Whitney,
there were virtually no municipal bond defaults in 2011. As a matter of fact,
municipal bonds were one of the best-performing asset classes this year. I think
Whitney is a brilliant analyst with keen insights, but the fact is that her bond
call for 2011 never materialized, and those who followed her advice missed out
on a lot of gains. Of course, Whitney could turn out to be correct on her
muni-bond default call, and if she is I'll be among the first to say she was
right. But in 2011, her bad bond call turned out to be one of the biggest market
blunders of the year. #1: John Corzine $1.2B Vanishing Act The bankruptcy and
alleged fiscal malfeasance at securities firm MF Global shook the financial
world. Former Democrat New Jersey governor, former U.S. senator and former
Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS ) chief John Corzine was put in the hot seat by Congress
to explain what happened to the $1.2 billion in missing customer funds. Corzine
famously told Congress, "I simply do not know where the money is." That sad
coda came after thousands of investors lost big money in MF Global, and after
more than 1,000 employees were laid off when the brokerage house went bust in
October. This infuriating story demonstrates that even politically connected
Wall Street titans can put investor capital in jeopardy . Because of the size,
scope and negative implications the MF Global meltdown has had on investors on
Main Street and Wall Street, Jon Corzine and his firm's bankruptcy easily win
the award for biggest market blunder of the year. This article originally
appeared on Traders Reserve .
gifts under the tree. No, some were given a lump of coal for their blunders,
mishaps and misdeeds. In fact, I can't remember a time when it was so easy to
find so many bad market blunders to choose from when compiling my annual list of
the worst of the worst missteps. In 2011, we saw bad management, bad decisions,
bad calls, bogus data and what could possibly be criminal malfeasance by an
über high-profile Wall Street titan: #5: NAR's Bogus Real Estate Numbers In
December, we received word from the National Association of Realtors that they
had overestimated their existing home sales metric for the past four years! The
NAR revised existing home sales 14% lower since 2007, a drop that represents the
loss of more than 2 million sales from the original bogus data. These numbers
tell us that: The nation's housing market is a lot tougher than we originally
thought. The credibility of the NAR's data cannot be trusted. Whether just an
error in calculation or an attempt to put a positive spin on the numbers, the
NAR's existing home sales revision is a reminder to be skeptical of trade
groups created to promote an industry. #4: Research In Motion's Decline A few
years ago, it was virtually unthinkable that Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM )
would be a cellar-dwelling stock replete with takeover rumors, but that's how
far down the BlackBerry maker has fallen in 2011. The stock has lost 76%
year-to-date and now trades at an eight-year low. The popularity of Apple 's
(NASDAQ: AAPL ) iPhone and Google 's (NASDAQ: GOOG ) Android-operated
smartphones made the BlackBerry far less popular in 2011. Then there was the
massive worldwide service outage in October that lasted about three days, which
then was followed by a not-so-well-received apology and offer of free BlackBerry
apps. Research In Motion's troubles in 2011 show us that no company and no
stock is immune from suffering a devastating defeat. #3: Netflix's Double
Whammy Sometimes good CEOs make horrible decisions. That can certainly be said
of Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX ) CEO Reed Hastings, who made two very poor decisions
this year that caused the value of his company's stock to sink 60% in 2011.
The Netflix decline began in earnest when the company raised its subscription
price . That didn't go down well with subscribers or Wall Street but even
worse was the company's launch of a new business called Qwikster . The theory
was that Qwikster would operate the company's DVD rentals, while Netflix would
concentrate on digital streaming. The problem was that customers would now have
to deal with multiple accounts, multiple credit card charges and multiple
headaches. After hearing a resounding chorus of negatives, Hastings pulled the
plug on Qwikster, but by then the damage had been done . #2: Meredith
Whitney's Bad Bond Call This year wasn't very kind to famed analyst Meredith
Whitney. Last December, the proprietor of the Meredith Whitney Advisory Group
appeared in a now-infamous 60 Minutes interview where she proffered a dire
warning about the coming wave of municipal defaults that would bring down the
muni-bond market. But rather than the hundreds of defaults predicted by Whitney,
there were virtually no municipal bond defaults in 2011. As a matter of fact,
municipal bonds were one of the best-performing asset classes this year. I think
Whitney is a brilliant analyst with keen insights, but the fact is that her bond
call for 2011 never materialized, and those who followed her advice missed out
on a lot of gains. Of course, Whitney could turn out to be correct on her
muni-bond default call, and if she is I'll be among the first to say she was
right. But in 2011, her bad bond call turned out to be one of the biggest market
blunders of the year. #1: John Corzine $1.2B Vanishing Act The bankruptcy and
alleged fiscal malfeasance at securities firm MF Global shook the financial
world. Former Democrat New Jersey governor, former U.S. senator and former
Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS ) chief John Corzine was put in the hot seat by Congress
to explain what happened to the $1.2 billion in missing customer funds. Corzine
famously told Congress, "I simply do not know where the money is." That sad
coda came after thousands of investors lost big money in MF Global, and after
more than 1,000 employees were laid off when the brokerage house went bust in
October. This infuriating story demonstrates that even politically connected
Wall Street titans can put investor capital in jeopardy . Because of the size,
scope and negative implications the MF Global meltdown has had on investors on
Main Street and Wall Street, Jon Corzine and his firm's bankruptcy easily win
the award for biggest market blunder of the year. This article originally
appeared on Traders Reserve .
Gold, Silver Shares Retreat, XAU Falls 1.3%
Gold and silver shares turned lower alongside precious metals on Tuesday, as
the Philadelphia Gold & Silver Index (XAU) retreated 1.3% to 182.81 in mid-day
trading. The XAU is coming off its first weekly advance in three, but with
todays sell-off extended its loss in December to 12.2%. Furthermore, the XAU is
now lower by 19.3% on a year-to-date basis and on pace for its first annual
decline since 2008. Notable gold stocks in the red on Tuesday included
Angico-Eagle Mines (AEM) and Randgold Resources (GOLD).
the Philadelphia Gold & Silver Index (XAU) retreated 1.3% to 182.81 in mid-day
trading. The XAU is coming off its first weekly advance in three, but with
todays sell-off extended its loss in December to 12.2%. Furthermore, the XAU is
now lower by 19.3% on a year-to-date basis and on pace for its first annual
decline since 2008. Notable gold stocks in the red on Tuesday included
Angico-Eagle Mines (AEM) and Randgold Resources (GOLD).
Top 10 Best-Rated Small Cap Stocks: WX, AER, AZPN, CRIS, SHOR, SREV, AMRN, AXAS, KNOL, LOGM (Dec 27, 2011)
Below are the top 10 best-rated Small Cap stocks, based on the percentage of
positive ratings by brokerage analysts. One Chinese company (WX) is on the list.
WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) Inc. (ADR) (NYSE:WX) is the first best-rated stock in
this segment of the market. It is rated positively by 100% of the 14 brokerage
analysts covering it. AerCap Holdings N.V. (NYSE:AER) is the second best-rated
stock in this segment of the market. It is rated positively by 100% of the 10
brokerage analysts covering it. Aspen Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:AZPN) is the
third best-rated stock in this segment of the market. It is rated positively by
100% of the 10 brokerage analysts covering it. Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRIS) is the
fourth best-rated stock in this segment of the market. It is rated positively by
100% of the 10 brokerage analysts covering it. ShoreTel, Inc. (NASDAQ:SHOR) is
the fifth best-rated stock in this segment of the market. It is rated positively
by 100% of the 10 brokerage analysts covering it. Servicesource International
Inc (NASDAQ:SREV) is the sixth best-rated stock in this segment of the market.
It is rated positively by 100% of the 10 brokerage analysts covering it. Amarin
Corporation plc (ADR) (NASDAQ:AMRN) is the seventh best-rated stock in this
segment of the market. It is rated positively by 100% of the 9 brokerage
analysts covering it. Abraxas Petroleum Corp. (NASDAQ:AXAS) is the eighth
best-rated stock in this segment of the market. It is rated positively by 100%
of the 9 brokerage analysts covering it. Knology, Inc. (NASDAQ:KNOL) is the
ninth best-rated stock in this segment of the market. It is rated positively by
100% of the 9 brokerage analysts covering it. LogMeIn, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOGM) is the
10th best-rated stock in this segment of the market. It is rated positively by
100% of the 9 brokerage analysts covering it.
positive ratings by brokerage analysts. One Chinese company (WX) is on the list.
WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) Inc. (ADR) (NYSE:WX) is the first best-rated stock in
this segment of the market. It is rated positively by 100% of the 14 brokerage
analysts covering it. AerCap Holdings N.V. (NYSE:AER) is the second best-rated
stock in this segment of the market. It is rated positively by 100% of the 10
brokerage analysts covering it. Aspen Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:AZPN) is the
third best-rated stock in this segment of the market. It is rated positively by
100% of the 10 brokerage analysts covering it. Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRIS) is the
fourth best-rated stock in this segment of the market. It is rated positively by
100% of the 10 brokerage analysts covering it. ShoreTel, Inc. (NASDAQ:SHOR) is
the fifth best-rated stock in this segment of the market. It is rated positively
by 100% of the 10 brokerage analysts covering it. Servicesource International
Inc (NASDAQ:SREV) is the sixth best-rated stock in this segment of the market.
It is rated positively by 100% of the 10 brokerage analysts covering it. Amarin
Corporation plc (ADR) (NASDAQ:AMRN) is the seventh best-rated stock in this
segment of the market. It is rated positively by 100% of the 9 brokerage
analysts covering it. Abraxas Petroleum Corp. (NASDAQ:AXAS) is the eighth
best-rated stock in this segment of the market. It is rated positively by 100%
of the 9 brokerage analysts covering it. Knology, Inc. (NASDAQ:KNOL) is the
ninth best-rated stock in this segment of the market. It is rated positively by
100% of the 9 brokerage analysts covering it. LogMeIn, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOGM) is the
10th best-rated stock in this segment of the market. It is rated positively by
100% of the 9 brokerage analysts covering it.
The Sinking Ship Sears Shedding Stores
While many retailers remain on pins and needles about how their holiday
receipts will stack up, there's no mystery at Sears Holdings (NASDAQ: SHLD ).
The company that operates Sears and Kmart department stores has been losing
customers and bleeding red ink forever and the past few months were no
exception. So Sears wasted no time announcing a huge cutback on its store count.
Between 100 and 120 Sears and Kmart stores will be closed. The company says $140
million to $170 million will be made as the inventory is shuffled out at
fire-sale prices. But more disturbing isn't the store closures it's the
context. Sears is losing money, and no profits are expected anytime soon. It
makes you wonder if this really is just the beginning of the end for the
once-iconic department store. How bad is it? Well, consumers should know
first-hand just by visiting their local Kmart or Sears locations. Fallen
flagship brands like Craftsman tools and Kenmore appliances used to be quality
names for many Americans but have little currency with shoppers today. Even more
damning is the tarnish on the stores themselves aging stores ideally could use
a fresh design and at the least need a good cleaning and repair job. Hedge fund
manager Edward Lampert and his cronies merged Sears with Kmart in 2005. Lampert
began focusing on online boondoggles such as an online marketplace in the vein
of eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY ) rather than acknowledging the power of its legacy brands
at physical stores. You can't fault the logic, since online retail is crushing
brick-and-mortar sales . But the result is online efforts have failed to bear
fruit yet, and existing stores present customers with a rather disappointing
experience. It's a lose-lose situation that has cost Sears dearly. That's
just from a taste perspective, however. The harshest reality for the company is
the poor sales numbers that have plagued Sears and Kmart for some time. Sears
Holdings has lost money in five of the past six quarters. Even worse: November
marked a stunning 19 straight quarters of sales declines ! The icing on the cake
is that Wall Street estimates for the company project consecutive quarterly
losses in each period through all of fiscal 2013. That means if you're being
charitable, Sears will continue to lose money for another year-and-a-half. But
let's be honest the reality is that forecasters aren't looking past 2013
because that's too far down the road. There's a very good chance that a year
from now, the outlook might be just as grim. Sears has yet to determine which
stores will be closed, or how many jobs will be lost. Management is casting the
store closures as an unfortunate event prompted by a bad economy and that is
indeed partly true. Many big retailers like Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT ) have struggled
to find their way as consumers have cut back and are more savvy about getting
the best deals. It might sound counterintuitive that the king of low-priced
retail would be hurting, but Wal-Mart has suffered for a few years now as
smaller discounters like Dollar General (NYSE: DG ) connect with customers and
sometimes even undercut pricing at the big guys. It is indeed challenging for
retailers. But Sears is in a class of its own when it comes to losing customers
and losing money in the retail space. And it's worth noting that some
retailers are booming . Sales at the company have dropped every single year
since Lampert took over in 2005. No wonder shares are off almost 50%
year-to-date in 2011 and almost 70% from the 2010 peak of SHLD stock. To be
clear, bankruptcy might not be an immediate concern. Sears doesn't have the
crippling debt load that drives companies directly into bankruptcy. But it's
certainly on its way. Unless Sears can streamline its operations and find a good
way to use funds from this inventory liquidation, it's likely we will see only
more store closures in the future and a race to the bottom for this once-storied
retail brand. Not everyone is bearish on Sears. Jonathan Berr thinks a new focus
on licensing deals such as a Sears partnership with the Kardashians can help
the company. But it's going to take more than star power to right this sinking
ship. Jeff Reeves is the editor of InvestorPlace.com. Write him at
editor@investorplace.com , follow him on Twitter via @JeffReevesIP and
become a fan of InvestorPlace on Facebook . Jeff Reeves holds a position in
Alcoa, but no other publicly traded stocks.
receipts will stack up, there's no mystery at Sears Holdings (NASDAQ: SHLD ).
The company that operates Sears and Kmart department stores has been losing
customers and bleeding red ink forever and the past few months were no
exception. So Sears wasted no time announcing a huge cutback on its store count.
Between 100 and 120 Sears and Kmart stores will be closed. The company says $140
million to $170 million will be made as the inventory is shuffled out at
fire-sale prices. But more disturbing isn't the store closures it's the
context. Sears is losing money, and no profits are expected anytime soon. It
makes you wonder if this really is just the beginning of the end for the
once-iconic department store. How bad is it? Well, consumers should know
first-hand just by visiting their local Kmart or Sears locations. Fallen
flagship brands like Craftsman tools and Kenmore appliances used to be quality
names for many Americans but have little currency with shoppers today. Even more
damning is the tarnish on the stores themselves aging stores ideally could use
a fresh design and at the least need a good cleaning and repair job. Hedge fund
manager Edward Lampert and his cronies merged Sears with Kmart in 2005. Lampert
began focusing on online boondoggles such as an online marketplace in the vein
of eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY ) rather than acknowledging the power of its legacy brands
at physical stores. You can't fault the logic, since online retail is crushing
brick-and-mortar sales . But the result is online efforts have failed to bear
fruit yet, and existing stores present customers with a rather disappointing
experience. It's a lose-lose situation that has cost Sears dearly. That's
just from a taste perspective, however. The harshest reality for the company is
the poor sales numbers that have plagued Sears and Kmart for some time. Sears
Holdings has lost money in five of the past six quarters. Even worse: November
marked a stunning 19 straight quarters of sales declines ! The icing on the cake
is that Wall Street estimates for the company project consecutive quarterly
losses in each period through all of fiscal 2013. That means if you're being
charitable, Sears will continue to lose money for another year-and-a-half. But
let's be honest the reality is that forecasters aren't looking past 2013
because that's too far down the road. There's a very good chance that a year
from now, the outlook might be just as grim. Sears has yet to determine which
stores will be closed, or how many jobs will be lost. Management is casting the
store closures as an unfortunate event prompted by a bad economy and that is
indeed partly true. Many big retailers like Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT ) have struggled
to find their way as consumers have cut back and are more savvy about getting
the best deals. It might sound counterintuitive that the king of low-priced
retail would be hurting, but Wal-Mart has suffered for a few years now as
smaller discounters like Dollar General (NYSE: DG ) connect with customers and
sometimes even undercut pricing at the big guys. It is indeed challenging for
retailers. But Sears is in a class of its own when it comes to losing customers
and losing money in the retail space. And it's worth noting that some
retailers are booming . Sales at the company have dropped every single year
since Lampert took over in 2005. No wonder shares are off almost 50%
year-to-date in 2011 and almost 70% from the 2010 peak of SHLD stock. To be
clear, bankruptcy might not be an immediate concern. Sears doesn't have the
crippling debt load that drives companies directly into bankruptcy. But it's
certainly on its way. Unless Sears can streamline its operations and find a good
way to use funds from this inventory liquidation, it's likely we will see only
more store closures in the future and a race to the bottom for this once-storied
retail brand. Not everyone is bearish on Sears. Jonathan Berr thinks a new focus
on licensing deals such as a Sears partnership with the Kardashians can help
the company. But it's going to take more than star power to right this sinking
ship. Jeff Reeves is the editor of InvestorPlace.com. Write him at
editor@investorplace.com , follow him on Twitter via @JeffReevesIP and
become a fan of InvestorPlace on Facebook . Jeff Reeves holds a position in
Alcoa, but no other publicly traded stocks.
Are Recent Chinese, Indian Events Bearish for Gold?
Developments over the past week in both China and India could have bearish
implications for the price of gold, according to a recent report by TD
Securities. In a note to clients this morning, precious metals strategist Steve
Scacalossi wrote that After the Christmas weekend the precious metals complex
drifted lower. Gold opened right on its day highs and never looked back with a
deluge of sell orders towards $1,607. This is somewhat surprising given news
yesterday out of China where the head of research for the Peoples Bank of China
was quoted as saying that the country should buy more gold when prices are
relatively low. Support for gold is at $1,575 and then major support at $1,500
as per todays chart. The TD strategist added that In other news, China has
restricted gold spot and futures trading to the Shanghai Gold Exchange and
Shanghai Futures Exchange as part of efforts to crack down on illegal buying and
selling of commodities." As for India, Scacalossi noted that "Indian gold
demand may drop as much as 50% in December after a plunge in the reminbi drives
up local prices. Imports may total 35-40 tons this month compared with 70-75
tons a year ago as per the Bombay Bullion Association. From a technical
perspective, he contended that Gold has broken short term support and is
vulnerable to a test of 1560.
implications for the price of gold, according to a recent report by TD
Securities. In a note to clients this morning, precious metals strategist Steve
Scacalossi wrote that After the Christmas weekend the precious metals complex
drifted lower. Gold opened right on its day highs and never looked back with a
deluge of sell orders towards $1,607. This is somewhat surprising given news
yesterday out of China where the head of research for the Peoples Bank of China
was quoted as saying that the country should buy more gold when prices are
relatively low. Support for gold is at $1,575 and then major support at $1,500
as per todays chart. The TD strategist added that In other news, China has
restricted gold spot and futures trading to the Shanghai Gold Exchange and
Shanghai Futures Exchange as part of efforts to crack down on illegal buying and
selling of commodities." As for India, Scacalossi noted that "Indian gold
demand may drop as much as 50% in December after a plunge in the reminbi drives
up local prices. Imports may total 35-40 tons this month compared with 70-75
tons a year ago as per the Bombay Bullion Association. From a technical
perspective, he contended that Gold has broken short term support and is
vulnerable to a test of 1560.
$1,810 Average Gold Price in 2012, Says Goldman Sachs
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
DG365FD46564GFH654FU898 GOLD PRICE NEWS – The gold price slid $13.89, or 0.9%, to $1,594.92 per ounce Tuesday morning amid modest declines in the broader commodities complex.
InvestorPlace.com Editor’s Best — and WORST — Calls of 2011
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 InvestorPlace It has been a wild 2011, and like all financial journalists and stock-pickers out there, I made my share of bonehead calls. Case in point: A painful endorsement of Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ) at the beginning of the year when it was worth twice what it is now! But some of my writing proved to be right on the money. My take on some big issues like the debt debacle, for instance, as well as specific recommendations — mostly buy recommendations on dividend stocks and sell-side calls on some high-profile blue chips facing headwinds. I don't pretend to have a perfect track record. A review of my columns on InvestorPlace shows that I basically moved with the market this year — sideways, with a mixed bag of good calls and bad ones. Most often I managed to get it right and wrong in the same article — such as a March call on Walgreen (NYSE: WAG ) that said Walgreen stock was a bargain after an earnings miss . If you bought when I wrote my column on March 23, you saw 15% gains in just two months — then the bottom fell out of the market during the summer, and WAG remains in the red on the year. That pretty much sums up what this year was like for most investors, I reckon. In the spirit of disclosure, I thought it would be nice to share some of my worst advice as well as my best predictions from the past year. Here they are: Debt Crisis Commentary In an Aug. 11 column on MarketWatch and here on InvestorPlace , I named "three bedrock blue chips to buy at fire sale prices" that included Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT ), Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO ) and AT&T (NYSE: T ). AT&T has been lackluster, but Wal-Mart is up almost 25% since that writing and Cisco is up 35%. I am particularly proud of this call because it came coupled with an earlier column about the August S&P downgrade of U.S. debt. In an article widely distributed on MarketWatch , InvestorPlace , Huffington Post and others, I asserted that the downgrade changed little — it wouldn't fix Washington, it wouldn't affect the economy and it wouldn't affect Treasury rates. When the market opened down 500-plus points on Monday, some folks thought I was crazy. Time, it seems, has proven me right … so far. Good Sell Calls Picking stocks to sell was easy in 2011. But I'll stick to some of the articles about big-name stocks that made big moves: In April, I warned of some big-name stocks to avoid . The market's flop helped prove this call right — but the bearish take on Sprint (NYSE: S ) was particularly well-timed. The stock flopped more than 50% since the column was published April 14. A May 5 column on stocks to sell is much of the same. While some were good calls based on broader market moves, General Motors (NYSE: GM ) gave up about 40% since I sounded the warning bell. And in what I hope was one of the most obvious calls of the year, in February I discussed whether the Market Vectors Egypt Index Fund (NYSE: EGPT ) was a bargain or a bust amid unrest in the region — and came down clearly on the sell side. The ETF is off 50% since then. Another no-brainer was a Sept. 26 column on Eastman Kodak (NYSE: EK ), saying the stock was heading to zero . Shares are off 70%, and at less than $1, that target of nothing seems to be pretty accurate.
A Basket Of Stocks To Consider Heading Into January Of 2012
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 Penny Stock Live I’m watching GLUU and COOL heading into January. I like the charts on both and will be looking for a good technical entry while trying to time news on sales figures etc… from the holiday month. GLUU looks pretty good just above the 20 and 50 Moving Averages with resistance at $3.77 followed by b/o at $3.90. COOL is a little more concerning just below the 20, 200 and 50 Moving Averages…if the company doesn’t put out big news it’s a possible short if it tests $2.61 – $2.53 support because after that we’re looking at $2.00. Any good news out of COOL could spark a nice run between the price and resistance around $3.63. THQI and BPAX continue to be on bottom bounce watch. I’m 2/3 swinging these two stocks recently but I think both have some solid room to run in January. THQI off the recent bottom of $.67 and between $.90 – $1.16 but only top end with news out of the company on sales etc. BPAX on a break of $.51 with gap down resistance at $.55 to signal a move back up. My favorite here is BPAX but be sure to track the next FDA ruling coming up. Stocks I’m confident I’ll be trading soon include QPSA, PWAV, PZZI and RENN. Check previous watch lists for my desired entries and exits but understand this is a dynamic process and one that gets evaluated daily meaning all desired entry points today come under careful consideration through research daily.
Top 10 Chemical Stocks with Highest Short Interest: MBLX, USU, ZOLT, PPO, AMRS, SMG, NEU, AVD, YONG, FOE (Dec 27, 2011)
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 China Analyst Below are the top 10 Chemical stocks with the highest short interest as a percentage of total shares outstanding. Stocks with very low market caps are excluded. Significant Short Covering can cause these stocks to rise sharply . One Chinese company (YONG) is on the list. Metabolix, Inc. (NASDAQ:MBLX) has the 1st highest short interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest is 23.6% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 29.34, calculated as current short interest divided by average daily volume. USEC Inc. (NYSE:USU) has the 2nd highest short interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest is 16.2% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 13.98, calculated as current short interest divided by average daily volume. Zoltek Companies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZOLT) has the 3rd highest short interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest is 15.1% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 17.64, calculated as current short interest divided by average daily volume. Polypore International, Inc. (NYSE:PPO) has the 4th highest short interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest is 14.7% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 8.04, calculated as current short interest divided by average daily volume. Amyris Inc (NASDAQ:AMRS) has the 5th highest short interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest is 12.1% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 25.37, calculated as current short interest divided by average daily volume. The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE:SMG) has the 6th highest short interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest is 11.1% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 9.89, calculated as current short interest divided by average daily volume. NewMarket Corporation (NYSE:NEU) has the 7th highest short interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest is 9.1% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 21.24, calculated as current short interest divided by average daily volume. American Vanguard Corp. (NYSE:AVD) has the 8th highest short interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest is 8.1% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 20.94, calculated as current short interest divided by average daily volume. Yongye International Inc (NASDAQ:YONG) has the 9th highest short interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest is 7.4% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 16.44, calculated as current short interest divided by average daily volume. Ferro Corporation (NYSE:FOE) has the 10th highest short interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest is 7.2% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 5.86, calculated as current short interest divided by average daily volume.
Defense Cuts Won’t Shake Northrop
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 InvestorPlace Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC ) is one of the largest integrated defense companies, with divisions that cover the entire security spectrum. It’s in the midst of precautionary cost-cutting because there are indications that the pullbacks from Iraq and Afghanistan — as well as the ending of the space shuttle program — will trim the aerospace and defense budgets and affect the entire industry. The situation may be similar to 1985 through 1997 when big cuts in defense spending caused industry consolidation. During that time, the larger players — like Northrop — got larger and focused on restructuring and investing in new technologies. Likewise, the recent industry consolidation is likely to be beneficial to Northrop shareholders as the company concentrates on higher margin businesses and sells off less profitable divisions. Northrop's management has been preparing for this by increasing the quarterly dividend from 30 cents a share five years ago to the current quarterly rate of 50 cents, resulting in a yield of 3.52%. That’s only a 29% payout ratio and likely a sustainable rate, no matter what happens with defense spending. Northrop is proactively cutting costs by eliminating 500 jobs in its aerospace division by the end of the year. The company is offering a voluntary buyout program to about 23,000 employees, followed by involuntary layoffs — the old carrot-and-stick approach. Northrop's stock has sold off notably since the market got wind of the coming restructuring, but that has only increased the dividend yield. Because it’s highly likely for Northrop to become a major consolidator in the industry, and with the low payout, the dividend could offer plenty of cushion for shareholders to ride out the uncertainty. Northrop has an entrenched position in the defense sector, where servicing existing systems and equipment promises to bring it plenty of return business so that the restructuring goes according to plan and the dividend remains intact. Northrop currently yields nearly double the rate of the 10-year Treasury note, with a steady revenue stream. The government may cut the defense budget, but it knows that its needs defense contractors to be in good financial shape, so any cuts should be measured and distributed among all big industry players.
$1,810 Average Gold Price in 2012, Says Goldman Sachs
GOLD PRICE NEWS – The gold price slid $13.89, or 0.9%, to $1,594.92 per ounce
Tuesday morning amid modest declines in the broader commodities complex.
Tuesday morning amid modest declines in the broader commodities complex.
InvestorPlace.com Editor’s Best — and WORST — Calls of 2011
It has been a wild 2011, and like all financial journalists and stock-pickers
out there, I made my share of bonehead calls. Case in point: A painful
endorsement of Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ) at the beginning of the year when it
was worth twice what it is now! But some of my writing proved to be right on the
money. My take on some big issues like the debt debacle, for instance, as well
as specific recommendations mostly buy recommendations on dividend stocks and
sell-side calls on some high-profile blue chips facing headwinds. I don't
pretend to have a perfect track record. A review of my columns on InvestorPlace
shows that I basically moved with the market this year sideways, with a mixed
bag of good calls and bad ones. Most often I managed to get it right and wrong
in the same article such as a March call on Walgreen (NYSE: WAG ) that said
Walgreen stock was a bargain after an earnings miss . If you bought when I wrote
my column on March 23, you saw 15% gains in just two months then the bottom
fell out of the market during the summer, and WAG remains in the red on the
year. That pretty much sums up what this year was like for most investors, I
reckon. In the spirit of disclosure, I thought it would be nice to share some of
my worst advice as well as my best predictions from the past year. Here they
are: Debt Crisis Commentary In an Aug. 11 column on MarketWatch and here on
InvestorPlace , I named "three bedrock blue chips to buy at fire sale
prices" that included Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT ), Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO ) and AT&T
(NYSE: T ). AT&T has been lackluster, but Wal-Mart is up almost 25% since that
writing and Cisco is up 35%. I am particularly proud of this call because it
came coupled with an earlier column about the August S&P downgrade of U.S. debt.
In an article widely distributed on MarketWatch , InvestorPlace , Huffington
Post and others, I asserted that the downgrade changed little it wouldn't fix
Washington, it wouldn't affect the economy and it wouldn't affect Treasury
rates. When the market opened down 500-plus points on Monday, some folks thought
I was crazy. Time, it seems, has proven me right … so far. Good Sell Calls
Picking stocks to sell was easy in 2011. But I'll stick to some of the
articles about big-name stocks that made big moves: In April, I warned of some
big-name stocks to avoid . The market's flop helped prove this call right but
the bearish take on Sprint (NYSE: S ) was particularly well-timed. The stock
flopped more than 50% since the column was published April 14. A May 5 column on
stocks to sell is much of the same. While some were good calls based on broader
market moves, General Motors (NYSE: GM ) gave up about 40% since I sounded the
warning bell. And in what I hope was one of the most obvious calls of the year,
in February I discussed whether the Market Vectors Egypt Index Fund (NYSE: EGPT
) was a bargain or a bust amid unrest in the region and came down clearly on
the sell side. The ETF is off 50% since then. Another no-brainer was a Sept. 26
column on Eastman Kodak (NYSE: EK ), saying the stock was heading to zero .
Shares are off 70%, and at less than $1, that target of nothing seems to be
pretty accurate.
out there, I made my share of bonehead calls. Case in point: A painful
endorsement of Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ) at the beginning of the year when it
was worth twice what it is now! But some of my writing proved to be right on the
money. My take on some big issues like the debt debacle, for instance, as well
as specific recommendations mostly buy recommendations on dividend stocks and
sell-side calls on some high-profile blue chips facing headwinds. I don't
pretend to have a perfect track record. A review of my columns on InvestorPlace
shows that I basically moved with the market this year sideways, with a mixed
bag of good calls and bad ones. Most often I managed to get it right and wrong
in the same article such as a March call on Walgreen (NYSE: WAG ) that said
Walgreen stock was a bargain after an earnings miss . If you bought when I wrote
my column on March 23, you saw 15% gains in just two months then the bottom
fell out of the market during the summer, and WAG remains in the red on the
year. That pretty much sums up what this year was like for most investors, I
reckon. In the spirit of disclosure, I thought it would be nice to share some of
my worst advice as well as my best predictions from the past year. Here they
are: Debt Crisis Commentary In an Aug. 11 column on MarketWatch and here on
InvestorPlace , I named "three bedrock blue chips to buy at fire sale
prices" that included Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT ), Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO ) and AT&T
(NYSE: T ). AT&T has been lackluster, but Wal-Mart is up almost 25% since that
writing and Cisco is up 35%. I am particularly proud of this call because it
came coupled with an earlier column about the August S&P downgrade of U.S. debt.
In an article widely distributed on MarketWatch , InvestorPlace , Huffington
Post and others, I asserted that the downgrade changed little it wouldn't fix
Washington, it wouldn't affect the economy and it wouldn't affect Treasury
rates. When the market opened down 500-plus points on Monday, some folks thought
I was crazy. Time, it seems, has proven me right … so far. Good Sell Calls
Picking stocks to sell was easy in 2011. But I'll stick to some of the
articles about big-name stocks that made big moves: In April, I warned of some
big-name stocks to avoid . The market's flop helped prove this call right but
the bearish take on Sprint (NYSE: S ) was particularly well-timed. The stock
flopped more than 50% since the column was published April 14. A May 5 column on
stocks to sell is much of the same. While some were good calls based on broader
market moves, General Motors (NYSE: GM ) gave up about 40% since I sounded the
warning bell. And in what I hope was one of the most obvious calls of the year,
in February I discussed whether the Market Vectors Egypt Index Fund (NYSE: EGPT
) was a bargain or a bust amid unrest in the region and came down clearly on
the sell side. The ETF is off 50% since then. Another no-brainer was a Sept. 26
column on Eastman Kodak (NYSE: EK ), saying the stock was heading to zero .
Shares are off 70%, and at less than $1, that target of nothing seems to be
pretty accurate.
Top 10 Chemical Stocks with Highest Short Interest: MBLX, USU, ZOLT, PPO, AMRS, SMG, NEU, AVD, YONG, FOE (Dec 27, 2011)
Below are the top 10 Chemical stocks with the highest short interest as a
percentage of total shares outstanding. Stocks with very low market caps are
excluded. Significant Short Covering can cause these stocks to rise sharply .
One Chinese company (YONG) is on the list. Metabolix, Inc. (NASDAQ:MBLX) has the
1st highest short interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest is
23.6% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 29.34, calculated as
current short interest divided by average daily volume. USEC Inc. (NYSE:USU) has
the 2nd highest short interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest
is 16.2% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 13.98, calculated
as current short interest divided by average daily volume. Zoltek Companies,
Inc. (NASDAQ:ZOLT) has the 3rd highest short interest in this segment of the
market. Its short interest is 15.1% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to
Cover is 17.64, calculated as current short interest divided by average daily
volume. Polypore International, Inc. (NYSE:PPO) has the 4th highest short
interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest is 14.7% of its total
shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 8.04, calculated as current short
interest divided by average daily volume. Amyris Inc (NASDAQ:AMRS) has the 5th
highest short interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest is
12.1% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 25.37, calculated as
current short interest divided by average daily volume. The Scotts Miracle-Gro
Company (NYSE:SMG) has the 6th highest short interest in this segment of the
market. Its short interest is 11.1% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to
Cover is 9.89, calculated as current short interest divided by average daily
volume. NewMarket Corporation (NYSE:NEU) has the 7th highest short interest in
this segment of the market. Its short interest is 9.1% of its total shares
outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 21.24, calculated as current short interest
divided by average daily volume. American Vanguard Corp. (NYSE:AVD) has the 8th
highest short interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest is 8.1%
of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 20.94, calculated as
current short interest divided by average daily volume. Yongye International Inc
(NASDAQ:YONG) has the 9th highest short interest in this segment of the market.
Its short interest is 7.4% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is
16.44, calculated as current short interest divided by average daily volume.
Ferro Corporation (NYSE:FOE) has the 10th highest short interest in this segment
of the market. Its short interest is 7.2% of its total shares outstanding. Its
Days to Cover is 5.86, calculated as current short interest divided by average
daily volume.
percentage of total shares outstanding. Stocks with very low market caps are
excluded. Significant Short Covering can cause these stocks to rise sharply .
One Chinese company (YONG) is on the list. Metabolix, Inc. (NASDAQ:MBLX) has the
1st highest short interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest is
23.6% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 29.34, calculated as
current short interest divided by average daily volume. USEC Inc. (NYSE:USU) has
the 2nd highest short interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest
is 16.2% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 13.98, calculated
as current short interest divided by average daily volume. Zoltek Companies,
Inc. (NASDAQ:ZOLT) has the 3rd highest short interest in this segment of the
market. Its short interest is 15.1% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to
Cover is 17.64, calculated as current short interest divided by average daily
volume. Polypore International, Inc. (NYSE:PPO) has the 4th highest short
interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest is 14.7% of its total
shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 8.04, calculated as current short
interest divided by average daily volume. Amyris Inc (NASDAQ:AMRS) has the 5th
highest short interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest is
12.1% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 25.37, calculated as
current short interest divided by average daily volume. The Scotts Miracle-Gro
Company (NYSE:SMG) has the 6th highest short interest in this segment of the
market. Its short interest is 11.1% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to
Cover is 9.89, calculated as current short interest divided by average daily
volume. NewMarket Corporation (NYSE:NEU) has the 7th highest short interest in
this segment of the market. Its short interest is 9.1% of its total shares
outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 21.24, calculated as current short interest
divided by average daily volume. American Vanguard Corp. (NYSE:AVD) has the 8th
highest short interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest is 8.1%
of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 20.94, calculated as
current short interest divided by average daily volume. Yongye International Inc
(NASDAQ:YONG) has the 9th highest short interest in this segment of the market.
Its short interest is 7.4% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is
16.44, calculated as current short interest divided by average daily volume.
Ferro Corporation (NYSE:FOE) has the 10th highest short interest in this segment
of the market. Its short interest is 7.2% of its total shares outstanding. Its
Days to Cover is 5.86, calculated as current short interest divided by average
daily volume.
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