Gold Price Silver Price News: Precious metal price trend-lines dipped during
the opening trading sessions of 2012. Gold and silver stock shares traded lower
during the last trading session of this past week as the dollar grew in
strength. The volatility caused by the ongoing eurozone debt crisis is
pressuring the gold and silver marketplace right now. The euro fell weaker once
again to the U.S. dollar and made positioning with precious metal gold and
silver less attractive. Gold and silver ultimately ended the last week in the
red. Sell offs during the last session stemmed primarily from the advancements
the U.S. dollar made. On the last trading session of the past week, the dollar
hit a relative high for the year. The dollar reached marks last trading session
not seen in over a year. The ongoing eurozone sovereign debt crisis is the main
culprit and no end in the debt crisis is currently in sight. Gold and silver
positions will continue to be pressured. Gold and silver prices: Gold and silver
contracts both finished the last session in the red. Gold contract closed lower
by 4.80 at 1617.40 per troy ounce according to electronic price posting. Silver
contract closed lower by .613 at 28.68 per troy ounce Spot gold per gram and
spot silver per ounce were both tracking negatively. Spot gold per gram was
lower by .12 at 51.96 and spot silver per ounce was red by .58 at 28.72. Camillo
Zucari
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Cash for Gold News LA; Gold price per ounce Silver price per ounce; Cash 4 Gold Company News
Gold and Silver Contract Close: Both gold and silver contracts finished the
last trading session of the week on the negative side of break-even for the day.
Gold and silver acquisitions have been minimized by the surging dollar. The
eurozone debt crisis is pressuring the precious metal marketplace right now and
weighing on precious metal gold and silver price trends. Contract gold for
February delivery finished the last trading session of the week lower by .30
percent according to electronic price which closed at 1617.40 per troy ounce.
Silver contract for March delivery finished the last trading session lower by
2.10 percent to close out at 28.70 per troy ounce according to electronic price
posting. Cash for Gold: Both precious metals price-trends have been negative
over the course of the last several weeks. According to one month change
analysis, precious metal gold price trend-line change is negative by
approximately 6.9 percent at this point in time. Although gold price trends have
been weighed down some recently, the price of gold over the past year is
decisively positive. With the price of gold at a relative high, many Americans
are deciding to try cash for gold options. The unemployment rate is above
average and people are selling off old scrap gold for needed cash. Recently,
reports out of Los Angeles have warned of the cash for gold trap. Some companies
are asking that you send your old scrap gold via mail and they will then cut and
send you the check. This ended badly for some that ultimately received a check
that seemed far below their expectations. Sending gold for cash via mail could
be a risk in the current marketplace. Camillo Zucari
last trading session of the week on the negative side of break-even for the day.
Gold and silver acquisitions have been minimized by the surging dollar. The
eurozone debt crisis is pressuring the precious metal marketplace right now and
weighing on precious metal gold and silver price trends. Contract gold for
February delivery finished the last trading session of the week lower by .30
percent according to electronic price which closed at 1617.40 per troy ounce.
Silver contract for March delivery finished the last trading session lower by
2.10 percent to close out at 28.70 per troy ounce according to electronic price
posting. Cash for Gold: Both precious metals price-trends have been negative
over the course of the last several weeks. According to one month change
analysis, precious metal gold price trend-line change is negative by
approximately 6.9 percent at this point in time. Although gold price trends have
been weighed down some recently, the price of gold over the past year is
decisively positive. With the price of gold at a relative high, many Americans
are deciding to try cash for gold options. The unemployment rate is above
average and people are selling off old scrap gold for needed cash. Recently,
reports out of Los Angeles have warned of the cash for gold trap. Some companies
are asking that you send your old scrap gold via mail and they will then cut and
send you the check. This ended badly for some that ultimately received a check
that seemed far below their expectations. Sending gold for cash via mail could
be a risk in the current marketplace. Camillo Zucari
Top 10 Most Profitable Leisure Services Stocks: CTRP, PCLN, EXPE, ISCA, LTM, IILG, CHDN, STNR, CNK, BWL.A (Jan 07, 2012)
Below are the top 10 most profitable Leisure Services stocks for the last 12
months. One Chinese company (CTRP) is on the list. Ctrip.com International, Ltd.
(ADR) (NASDAQ:CTRP) is the 1st most profitable stock in this segment of the
market. Its net profit margin was 32.11% for the last 12 months. Its operating
profit margin was 33.57% for the same period. priceline.com Incorporated
(NASDAQ:PCLN) is the 2nd most profitable stock in this segment of the market.
Its net profit margin was 23.64% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit
margin was 31.35% for the same period. Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE) is the 3rd
most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was
12.52% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 20.39% for the
same period. International Speedway Corporation (NASDAQ:ISCA) is the 4th most
profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 9.25%
for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 18.60% for the same
period. Life Time Fitness, Inc. (NYSE:LTM) is the 5th most profitable stock in
this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 9.16% for the last 12
months. Its operating profit margin was 17.34% for the same period. Interval
Leisure Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IILG) is the 6th most profitable stock in this
segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 9.11% for the last 12 months.
Its operating profit margin was 22.79% for the same period. Churchill Downs,
Inc. (NASDAQ:CHDN) is the 7th most profitable stock in this segment of the
market. Its net profit margin was 7.63% for the last 12 months. Its operating
profit margin was 10.29% for the same period. Steiner Leisure Limited
(NASDAQ:STNR) is the 8th most profitable stock in this segment of the market.
Its net profit margin was 7.61% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit
margin was 8.92% for the same period. Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CNK) is the
9th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin
was 6.71% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 13.65% for the
same period. Bowl America Incorporated (AMEX:BWL.A) is the 10th most profitable
stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 5.64% for the
last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 6.51% for the same period.
months. One Chinese company (CTRP) is on the list. Ctrip.com International, Ltd.
(ADR) (NASDAQ:CTRP) is the 1st most profitable stock in this segment of the
market. Its net profit margin was 32.11% for the last 12 months. Its operating
profit margin was 33.57% for the same period. priceline.com Incorporated
(NASDAQ:PCLN) is the 2nd most profitable stock in this segment of the market.
Its net profit margin was 23.64% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit
margin was 31.35% for the same period. Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE) is the 3rd
most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was
12.52% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 20.39% for the
same period. International Speedway Corporation (NASDAQ:ISCA) is the 4th most
profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 9.25%
for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 18.60% for the same
period. Life Time Fitness, Inc. (NYSE:LTM) is the 5th most profitable stock in
this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 9.16% for the last 12
months. Its operating profit margin was 17.34% for the same period. Interval
Leisure Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IILG) is the 6th most profitable stock in this
segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 9.11% for the last 12 months.
Its operating profit margin was 22.79% for the same period. Churchill Downs,
Inc. (NASDAQ:CHDN) is the 7th most profitable stock in this segment of the
market. Its net profit margin was 7.63% for the last 12 months. Its operating
profit margin was 10.29% for the same period. Steiner Leisure Limited
(NASDAQ:STNR) is the 8th most profitable stock in this segment of the market.
Its net profit margin was 7.61% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit
margin was 8.92% for the same period. Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CNK) is the
9th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin
was 6.71% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 13.65% for the
same period. Bowl America Incorporated (AMEX:BWL.A) is the 10th most profitable
stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 5.64% for the
last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 6.51% for the same period.
Nook Spinoff Talk Might Signal Final Chapter for Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS ) has put together a strong e-commerce platform and a
popular e-reader, the Nook, that has allowed it to avoid the fate of many
brick-and-mortar booksellers. Thanks to growth from its e-book division and the
relative popularity of the low-cost Nook, B&N narrowed its losses and saw
revenue jump 20% in fiscal 2011 over the previous year. Too bad Barnes & Noble
is now giving up on the Nook. Recent reports say the company will spin off
production of the tablet. That reeks of desperation and is likely the end of
both the Nook reader and Barnes & Noble as we know it. When Borders went bust
last year, it looked like a classic case study of a company that was unable to
evolve. Just some of the blunders included outsourcing its e-commerce site to
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN ) and the lackluster efforts with its own e-reader tablet.
Those certainly were key factors. But they all reflected the fact that the
traditional book business is eroding quickly and that its simply becoming too
costly to support a large chain of brick-and-mortar stores . B&N had a leg up on
Borders, but it appears to be going the same way now that the Nook is on the
outs. Another telltale sign is that Barnes & Noble has become focused on
financial engineering. In addition to the Nook news, it looks like the company
plans to sell off its Sterling Publishing business, which focuses mostly on
nonfiction titles. This was part of a $115 million acquisition back in 2003.
However, its unclear how much money a sale would get. The publishing business is
under tremendous pressure because of soft demand in the U.S. and the low price
points of e-books. Even though the Nook is growing quickly at 70% during the
holiday season it still might not get a premium valuation. The business
continues to be a source of losses because of the huge necessary investments.
Consider that Barnes & Noble projects pretax earnings of only $150 million to
$180 million for fiscal 2012, and only last month the projections were for $210
million to $250 million. And with the continued success of Apple s (NASDAQ: AAPL
) iPad as well as Amazons dirt-cheap Kindle Fire tablet, it could be tough for
the Nook to remain a sustainable business, even with its higher-horsepower Nook
tablet . So this really might be the end game for Barnes & Noble. The strategy
seems to be to monetize the assets, then perhaps go private. From there, the
company can starve investments in its stores and try to harvest the cash flows
until the inevitable day comes when the retail business simply goes away. Tom
Taulli runs the InvestorPlace blog IPOPlaybook , a site dedicated to the hottest
news and rumors about initial public offerings. He also is 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 securities.
popular e-reader, the Nook, that has allowed it to avoid the fate of many
brick-and-mortar booksellers. Thanks to growth from its e-book division and the
relative popularity of the low-cost Nook, B&N narrowed its losses and saw
revenue jump 20% in fiscal 2011 over the previous year. Too bad Barnes & Noble
is now giving up on the Nook. Recent reports say the company will spin off
production of the tablet. That reeks of desperation and is likely the end of
both the Nook reader and Barnes & Noble as we know it. When Borders went bust
last year, it looked like a classic case study of a company that was unable to
evolve. Just some of the blunders included outsourcing its e-commerce site to
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN ) and the lackluster efforts with its own e-reader tablet.
Those certainly were key factors. But they all reflected the fact that the
traditional book business is eroding quickly and that its simply becoming too
costly to support a large chain of brick-and-mortar stores . B&N had a leg up on
Borders, but it appears to be going the same way now that the Nook is on the
outs. Another telltale sign is that Barnes & Noble has become focused on
financial engineering. In addition to the Nook news, it looks like the company
plans to sell off its Sterling Publishing business, which focuses mostly on
nonfiction titles. This was part of a $115 million acquisition back in 2003.
However, its unclear how much money a sale would get. The publishing business is
under tremendous pressure because of soft demand in the U.S. and the low price
points of e-books. Even though the Nook is growing quickly at 70% during the
holiday season it still might not get a premium valuation. The business
continues to be a source of losses because of the huge necessary investments.
Consider that Barnes & Noble projects pretax earnings of only $150 million to
$180 million for fiscal 2012, and only last month the projections were for $210
million to $250 million. And with the continued success of Apple s (NASDAQ: AAPL
) iPad as well as Amazons dirt-cheap Kindle Fire tablet, it could be tough for
the Nook to remain a sustainable business, even with its higher-horsepower Nook
tablet . So this really might be the end game for Barnes & Noble. The strategy
seems to be to monetize the assets, then perhaps go private. From there, the
company can starve investments in its stores and try to harvest the cash flows
until the inevitable day comes when the retail business simply goes away. Tom
Taulli runs the InvestorPlace blog IPOPlaybook , a site dedicated to the hottest
news and rumors about initial public offerings. He also is 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 securities.
Top 10 Most Profitable IT Services Stocks: TBOW, GA, KEYN, BIDU, NTES, CNET, SWI, AMAP, SOHU, PWRD (Jan 07, 2012)
Below are the top 10 most profitable IT Services stocks for the last 12 months.
Eight Chinese companies (TBOW, GA, BIDU, NTES, CNET, AMAP, SOHU, PWRD) are on
the list. Trunkbow International Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:TBOW) is the 1st most
profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 61.32%
for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 46.86% for the same
period. Giant Interactive Group Inc (ADR) (NYSE:GA) is the 2nd most profitable
stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 52.23% for the
last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 55.76% for the same period.
Keynote Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:KEYN) is the 3rd most profitable stock in this
segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 49.37% for the last 12 months.
Its operating profit margin was 14.60% for the same period. Baidu.com, Inc.
(ADR) (NASDAQ:BIDU) is the 4th most profitable stock in this segment of the
market. Its net profit margin was 46.00% for the last 12 months. Its operating
profit margin was 52.53% for the same period. NetEase.com Inc (ADR)
(NASDAQ:NTES) is the 5th most profitable stock in this segment of the market.
Its net profit margin was 44.36% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit
margin was 46.77% for the same period. Chinanet Online Holdings Inc
(NASDAQ:CNET) is the 6th most profitable stock in this segment of the market.
Its net profit margin was 34.78% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit
margin was 37.33% for the same period. SolarWinds, Inc. (NYSE:SWI) is the 7th
most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was
33.38% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 43.25% for the
same period. AutoNavi Holdings Ltd (ADR) (NASDAQ:AMAP) is the 8th most
profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 32.10%
for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 30.98% for the same
period. Sohu.com Inc. (NASDAQ:SOHU) is the 9th most profitable stock in this
segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 30.61% for the last 12 months.
Its operating profit margin was 34.88% for the same period. Perfect World Co.,
Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:PWRD) is the 10th most profitable stock in this segment of
the market. Its net profit margin was 30.18% for the last 12 months. Its
operating profit margin was 33.07% for the same period.
Eight Chinese companies (TBOW, GA, BIDU, NTES, CNET, AMAP, SOHU, PWRD) are on
the list. Trunkbow International Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:TBOW) is the 1st most
profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 61.32%
for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 46.86% for the same
period. Giant Interactive Group Inc (ADR) (NYSE:GA) is the 2nd most profitable
stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 52.23% for the
last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 55.76% for the same period.
Keynote Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:KEYN) is the 3rd most profitable stock in this
segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 49.37% for the last 12 months.
Its operating profit margin was 14.60% for the same period. Baidu.com, Inc.
(ADR) (NASDAQ:BIDU) is the 4th most profitable stock in this segment of the
market. Its net profit margin was 46.00% for the last 12 months. Its operating
profit margin was 52.53% for the same period. NetEase.com Inc (ADR)
(NASDAQ:NTES) is the 5th most profitable stock in this segment of the market.
Its net profit margin was 44.36% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit
margin was 46.77% for the same period. Chinanet Online Holdings Inc
(NASDAQ:CNET) is the 6th most profitable stock in this segment of the market.
Its net profit margin was 34.78% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit
margin was 37.33% for the same period. SolarWinds, Inc. (NYSE:SWI) is the 7th
most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was
33.38% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 43.25% for the
same period. AutoNavi Holdings Ltd (ADR) (NASDAQ:AMAP) is the 8th most
profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 32.10%
for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 30.98% for the same
period. Sohu.com Inc. (NASDAQ:SOHU) is the 9th most profitable stock in this
segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 30.61% for the last 12 months.
Its operating profit margin was 34.88% for the same period. Perfect World Co.,
Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:PWRD) is the 10th most profitable stock in this segment of
the market. Its net profit margin was 30.18% for the last 12 months. Its
operating profit margin was 33.07% for the same period.
Top 10 Most Profitable Investment Services Stocks: SAR, KFN, PZN, CLMS, IBKR, GCAP, ICE, CME, NOAH, AI (Jan 07, 2012)
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 China Analyst Below are the top 10 most profitable Investment Services stocks for the last 12 months. One Chinese company (NOAH) is on the list. Saratoga Investment Corp. (NYSE:SAR) is the 1st most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 78.89% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 41.29% for the same period. KKR Financial Holdings LLC (NYSE:KFN) is the 2nd most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 58.37% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 59.93% for the same period. Pzena Investment Management, Inc. (NYSE:PZN) is the 3rd most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 46.53% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 50.91% for the same period. Calamos Asset Management, Inc (NASDAQ:CLMS) is the 4th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 43.38% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 40.76% for the same period. Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBKR) is the 5th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 41.65% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 47.80% for the same period. Gain Capital Holdings Inc (NYSE:GCAP) is the 6th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 39.41% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 46.07% for the same period. IntercontinentalExchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE) is the 7th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 38.38% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 58.91% for the same period. CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME) is the 8th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 38.22% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 63.10% for the same period. Noah Holdings Limited (ADR) (NYSE:NOAH) is the 9th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 34.42% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 40.57% for the same period. Arlington Asset Investment Corp. (NYSE:AI) is the 10th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 33.20% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 67.02% for the same period.
Gold & Silver Prices | Weekly Recap 2-6 January
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
DG365FD46564GFH654FU898 Gold and silver prices started off 2012 with very sharp gains mainly during the first trading day of the year. Since many other financial markets also started 2012 on a positive note including crude oil market and American stock market, this rally may have partly due to the phenomena known as “the January effect”. The positive reports from the U.S. on the U.S. manufacturing PMI may have also contributed to the markets rally at the beginning of the week. But by the end of the week gold and silver prices changed direction and slightly declined on Friday, perhaps due to a market correction and a reaction to the recent U.S. labor report.
Top 10 Most Profitable Industrial Stocks: CGNX, SNHY, NDSN, SHS, OYOG, CVVT, MKSI, GGG, ROP, MOCO (Jan 07, 2012)
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 China Analyst Below are the top 10 most profitable Industrial stocks for the last 12 months. One Chinese company (CVVT) is on the list. Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ:CGNX) is the 1st most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 21.85% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 26.87% for the same period. Sun Hydraulics Corporation (NASDAQ:SNHY) is the 2nd most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 18.91% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 26.74% for the same period. Nordson Corporation (NASDAQ:NDSN) is the 3rd most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 18.03% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 25.59% for the same period. Sauer-Danfoss Inc. (NYSE:SHS) is the 4th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 17.78% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 19.04% for the same period. OYO Geospace Corporation (NASDAQ:OYOG) is the 5th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 17.18% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 25.67% for the same period. China Valves Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:CVVT) is the 6th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 16.83% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 22.69% for the same period. MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) is the 7th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 16.23% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 23.38% for the same period. Graco Inc. (NYSE:GGG) is the 8th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 15.84% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 23.94% for the same period. Roper Industries, Inc. (NYSE:ROP) is the 9th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 15.08% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 23.36% for the same period. MOCON, Inc. (NASDAQ:MOCO) is the 10th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 14.97% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 21.67% for the same period.
SodaStream Gains Sparkle on a Kraft Deal
After the Great Recession, consumers started focusing on brewing premium
beverages at home to save a few bucks. One popular gadget aimed at that market
is produced by SodaStream International (NASDAQ: SODA ), which provides in-home
carbonation ranging from fizzy treats to fancy alcoholic drinks. SodaStream has
been seeing big sales growth since it went public in 2010. Sales are set to jump
22% in fiscal 2011, and the company has blown away profit forecasts in each of
the last four quarters. Next up for SodaStream: A big-time partnership with the
big-name beverage brands of Crystal Light and Country Time lemonade. The stock
popped 10% in early trading Thursday as a result of the news today but is it
enough to keep SODA stock from losing its fizz like so many "fad" stocks
have done? Already, by midmorning the stocks jump was trimmed to just over 5%.
Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT ) announced the deal with SodaStream today with its top
brands becoming available on SodaStream's in-home carbonation systems. Much
like Green Mountain Coffee (NASDAQ: GMCR ) did with its Keurig single-brew
coffee machines, SODA is relying on consumers loyal to a particular brand to
give their pricey kitchen appliances a shot. Keurig's coffee machines boast
java branded "K-Cups" of coffee by Dunkin Donuts (NASDAQ: DNKN ), Caribou
Coffee (NASDAQ: CBOU ) and even Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX ). Therein lies the
problem, though. While Keurig was a roaring success in previous years, there are
signs that momentum is waning and that investors are skeptical of the
company's future growth prospects. After all, after folks have one machine
they hardly need another and the brewers themselves are sold nearly at cost,
and the lion's share of profits comes from licensing the coffee-filled K-Cups
that GMCR has patented. The result is that, while Green Mountain Coffee has seen
its revenue increase five-fold since 2008 and its stock is up 10-times over in
the same period, GMCR shares are down 50% in the last six months or so. The
bears have started sharpening their claws, wondering if the fad of Keurig is
about to fade . SodaStream appears to be growing still, though it faces the same
headwinds. Consider that while 27% of outstanding Green Mountain shares are
owned by short-side traders that is, investors betting the stock will drop
Sodastream boasts an ugly 58% short interest. That means more than half the
shareholders of available SODA stock are betting against the company. Not a good
sign. Of course, the deal with Kraft could send some of those short-sellers
scurrying for the exits. Just because most people are betting against a stock
doesn't mean it can't succeed. However, the risk of trendy consumer stocks
has been chronicled many times on Wall Street. Fads like Crocs (NASDAQ: CROX )
run up and then flame out spectacularly. Will SodaStream be the next big-time
flop? Maybe. Personally I don't think Country Time and Crystal Light have the
currency to single-handedly save the stock. I have been bearish on SODA stock
for some time , and I think the fizz in shares today is probably just some short
covering as traders hedge their bets. But if SodaStream can keep offering tasty
beverages cheaply and conveniently via home-carbonation systems, it could be
around for a long time. The company is up about 18% since it started trading and
continues to post strong profits and revenue. In the end, those are the only
results that investors really care about. 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.
beverages at home to save a few bucks. One popular gadget aimed at that market
is produced by SodaStream International (NASDAQ: SODA ), which provides in-home
carbonation ranging from fizzy treats to fancy alcoholic drinks. SodaStream has
been seeing big sales growth since it went public in 2010. Sales are set to jump
22% in fiscal 2011, and the company has blown away profit forecasts in each of
the last four quarters. Next up for SodaStream: A big-time partnership with the
big-name beverage brands of Crystal Light and Country Time lemonade. The stock
popped 10% in early trading Thursday as a result of the news today but is it
enough to keep SODA stock from losing its fizz like so many "fad" stocks
have done? Already, by midmorning the stocks jump was trimmed to just over 5%.
Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT ) announced the deal with SodaStream today with its top
brands becoming available on SodaStream's in-home carbonation systems. Much
like Green Mountain Coffee (NASDAQ: GMCR ) did with its Keurig single-brew
coffee machines, SODA is relying on consumers loyal to a particular brand to
give their pricey kitchen appliances a shot. Keurig's coffee machines boast
java branded "K-Cups" of coffee by Dunkin Donuts (NASDAQ: DNKN ), Caribou
Coffee (NASDAQ: CBOU ) and even Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX ). Therein lies the
problem, though. While Keurig was a roaring success in previous years, there are
signs that momentum is waning and that investors are skeptical of the
company's future growth prospects. After all, after folks have one machine
they hardly need another and the brewers themselves are sold nearly at cost,
and the lion's share of profits comes from licensing the coffee-filled K-Cups
that GMCR has patented. The result is that, while Green Mountain Coffee has seen
its revenue increase five-fold since 2008 and its stock is up 10-times over in
the same period, GMCR shares are down 50% in the last six months or so. The
bears have started sharpening their claws, wondering if the fad of Keurig is
about to fade . SodaStream appears to be growing still, though it faces the same
headwinds. Consider that while 27% of outstanding Green Mountain shares are
owned by short-side traders that is, investors betting the stock will drop
Sodastream boasts an ugly 58% short interest. That means more than half the
shareholders of available SODA stock are betting against the company. Not a good
sign. Of course, the deal with Kraft could send some of those short-sellers
scurrying for the exits. Just because most people are betting against a stock
doesn't mean it can't succeed. However, the risk of trendy consumer stocks
has been chronicled many times on Wall Street. Fads like Crocs (NASDAQ: CROX )
run up and then flame out spectacularly. Will SodaStream be the next big-time
flop? Maybe. Personally I don't think Country Time and Crystal Light have the
currency to single-handedly save the stock. I have been bearish on SODA stock
for some time , and I think the fizz in shares today is probably just some short
covering as traders hedge their bets. But if SodaStream can keep offering tasty
beverages cheaply and conveniently via home-carbonation systems, it could be
around for a long time. The company is up about 18% since it started trading and
continues to post strong profits and revenue. In the end, those are the only
results that investors really care about. 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.
Top 10 Most Profitable Investment Services Stocks: SAR, KFN, PZN, CLMS, IBKR, GCAP, ICE, CME, NOAH, AI (Jan 07, 2012)
Below are the top 10 most profitable Investment Services stocks for the last 12
months. One Chinese company (NOAH) is on the list. Saratoga Investment Corp.
(NYSE:SAR) is the 1st most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its
net profit margin was 78.89% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin
was 41.29% for the same period. KKR Financial Holdings LLC (NYSE:KFN) is the 2nd
most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was
58.37% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 59.93% for the
same period. Pzena Investment Management, Inc. (NYSE:PZN) is the 3rd most
profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 46.53%
for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 50.91% for the same
period. Calamos Asset Management, Inc (NASDAQ:CLMS) is the 4th most profitable
stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 43.38% for the
last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 40.76% for the same period.
Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBKR) is the 5th most profitable stock
in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 41.65% for the last 12
months. Its operating profit margin was 47.80% for the same period. Gain Capital
Holdings Inc (NYSE:GCAP) is the 6th most profitable stock in this segment of the
market. Its net profit margin was 39.41% for the last 12 months. Its operating
profit margin was 46.07% for the same period. IntercontinentalExchange, Inc.
(NYSE:ICE) is the 7th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its
net profit margin was 38.38% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin
was 58.91% for the same period. CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME) is the 8th most
profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 38.22%
for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 63.10% for the same
period. Noah Holdings Limited (ADR) (NYSE:NOAH) is the 9th most profitable stock
in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 34.42% for the last 12
months. Its operating profit margin was 40.57% for the same period. Arlington
Asset Investment Corp. (NYSE:AI) is the 10th most profitable stock in this
segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 33.20% for the last 12 months.
Its operating profit margin was 67.02% for the same period.
months. One Chinese company (NOAH) is on the list. Saratoga Investment Corp.
(NYSE:SAR) is the 1st most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its
net profit margin was 78.89% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin
was 41.29% for the same period. KKR Financial Holdings LLC (NYSE:KFN) is the 2nd
most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was
58.37% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 59.93% for the
same period. Pzena Investment Management, Inc. (NYSE:PZN) is the 3rd most
profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 46.53%
for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 50.91% for the same
period. Calamos Asset Management, Inc (NASDAQ:CLMS) is the 4th most profitable
stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 43.38% for the
last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 40.76% for the same period.
Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBKR) is the 5th most profitable stock
in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 41.65% for the last 12
months. Its operating profit margin was 47.80% for the same period. Gain Capital
Holdings Inc (NYSE:GCAP) is the 6th most profitable stock in this segment of the
market. Its net profit margin was 39.41% for the last 12 months. Its operating
profit margin was 46.07% for the same period. IntercontinentalExchange, Inc.
(NYSE:ICE) is the 7th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its
net profit margin was 38.38% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin
was 58.91% for the same period. CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME) is the 8th most
profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 38.22%
for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 63.10% for the same
period. Noah Holdings Limited (ADR) (NYSE:NOAH) is the 9th most profitable stock
in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 34.42% for the last 12
months. Its operating profit margin was 40.57% for the same period. Arlington
Asset Investment Corp. (NYSE:AI) is the 10th most profitable stock in this
segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 33.20% for the last 12 months.
Its operating profit margin was 67.02% for the same period.
Gold & Silver Prices | Weekly Recap 2-6 January
Gold and silver prices started off 2012 with very sharp gains mainly during the
first trading day of the year. Since many other financial markets also started
2012 on a positive note including crude oil market and American stock market,
this rally may have partly due to the phenomena known as the January effect. The
positive reports from the U.S. on the U.S. manufacturing PMI may have also
contributed to the markets rally at the beginning of the week. But by the end of
the week gold and silver prices changed direction and slightly declined on
Friday, perhaps due to a market correction and a reaction to the recent U.S.
labor report.
first trading day of the year. Since many other financial markets also started
2012 on a positive note including crude oil market and American stock market,
this rally may have partly due to the phenomena known as the January effect. The
positive reports from the U.S. on the U.S. manufacturing PMI may have also
contributed to the markets rally at the beginning of the week. But by the end of
the week gold and silver prices changed direction and slightly declined on
Friday, perhaps due to a market correction and a reaction to the recent U.S.
labor report.
Gold, Silver Lower as Italian Bond Yields Cause Jitters
Gold and silver were moving lower along with stocks Thursday morning despite a
positive report on December unemployment and private sector hiring, along with
healthy bidding at an auction of French treasury bonds. Disturbingly, the yield
on Italys benchmark 10-year bond moved back above the key 7% level , according
to a Wall Street Journal report. Spot gold was trading 0.5% lower Thursday
morning, with a bid price of $1,604.40 and an ask price of $1,605.40. Spot gold
traded as high as $1,613.50 per ounce and as low as $1,596. The London afternoon
reference price fix came in at $1,599, $14 lower than Wednesdays price fix,
according to Kitco market data . Spot silver was down some 0.86%, bid at $28.91
per ounce with an ask price of $29.01. The morning high as of time of writing
was $29.23 and the low was $28.63. Thursday's reference price was set at
$28.92 in the London a.m., 26 cents per ounce lower than Wednesdays price fix.
Closing out 2011 strong, the headline seasonally adjusted insured unemployment
rate for the week ending Dec. 24 fell 0.1% from the previous week to 2.8%, the
Labor Department reported. Initial claims for unemployment fell to 372,000 last
week, a drop of 15,000 from the revised figure from two weeks ago. The four-week
moving average fell to 373,250, a drop of 3,250 from the previous weeks revised
average of 376,500. Seasonally adjusted non-farm private sector employment rose
325,000 month-over-month in December, according to the latest ADP National
Employment Report, which was released this morning. Novembers estimated increase
was revised down slightly, from 206,000 to 204,000. Gold bullion reached a
two-week high of $1,625 per ounce in London morning trading Thursday before
dropping back to $1,609, according to BullionVault s London Gold Market report.
We believe that gold prices will recover in 2012, and we maintain our bullish
posture, HSBC analyst James Steel said, despite cutting his average 2012
forecast from $2,025 to $1,850 per ounce this week. On the exchanges, gold and
silver trusts were heading lower. The SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD ) was showing
losses of around 0.2%. The iShares Gold Trust (NYSE: IAU ) was down more than
0.1%. The iShares Silver Trust (NYSE: SLV ) was down around 0.7%. Gold mining
ETFs were falling as well. The Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (NYSE: GDX ) was
about 0.5% lower. The Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (NYSE: GDXJ ) was
down nearly 2.6%. The Global X Silver Miners ETF (NYSE: SIL ) was around 0.8%
lower. Gold mining shares were broadly lower, Agnico-Eagle Mines (NYSE: AEM )
the exception. Agnico-Eagle Mines was showing gains of some 0.6%. Barrick Gold
(NYSE: ABX ) was down about 0.25%. Eldorado Gold (NYSE: EGO ) was down some
0.5%. Goldcorp (NYSE: GG ) was more than 0.7% lower. Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM )
was unchanged. NovaGold Resources (AMEX: NG ) was down 1% and more. Silver
mining shares also were heading south. Coeur dAlene Mines (NYSE: CDE ) was
moving lower, down more than 1%. Hecla Mining (NYSE: HL ) was down more than
1.7%. Pan American Silver (NASDAQ: PAAS ) was down some 0.6%. Silver Wheaton
(NYSE: SLW ) was showing losses of around 0.6%. Silver Standard Resources
(NASDAQ: SSRI ) was down nearly 1.2%. As of this writing, Andrew Burger did not
hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. Adrian Ash of
BullionVault contributed to this report.
positive report on December unemployment and private sector hiring, along with
healthy bidding at an auction of French treasury bonds. Disturbingly, the yield
on Italys benchmark 10-year bond moved back above the key 7% level , according
to a Wall Street Journal report. Spot gold was trading 0.5% lower Thursday
morning, with a bid price of $1,604.40 and an ask price of $1,605.40. Spot gold
traded as high as $1,613.50 per ounce and as low as $1,596. The London afternoon
reference price fix came in at $1,599, $14 lower than Wednesdays price fix,
according to Kitco market data . Spot silver was down some 0.86%, bid at $28.91
per ounce with an ask price of $29.01. The morning high as of time of writing
was $29.23 and the low was $28.63. Thursday's reference price was set at
$28.92 in the London a.m., 26 cents per ounce lower than Wednesdays price fix.
Closing out 2011 strong, the headline seasonally adjusted insured unemployment
rate for the week ending Dec. 24 fell 0.1% from the previous week to 2.8%, the
Labor Department reported. Initial claims for unemployment fell to 372,000 last
week, a drop of 15,000 from the revised figure from two weeks ago. The four-week
moving average fell to 373,250, a drop of 3,250 from the previous weeks revised
average of 376,500. Seasonally adjusted non-farm private sector employment rose
325,000 month-over-month in December, according to the latest ADP National
Employment Report, which was released this morning. Novembers estimated increase
was revised down slightly, from 206,000 to 204,000. Gold bullion reached a
two-week high of $1,625 per ounce in London morning trading Thursday before
dropping back to $1,609, according to BullionVault s London Gold Market report.
We believe that gold prices will recover in 2012, and we maintain our bullish
posture, HSBC analyst James Steel said, despite cutting his average 2012
forecast from $2,025 to $1,850 per ounce this week. On the exchanges, gold and
silver trusts were heading lower. The SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD ) was showing
losses of around 0.2%. The iShares Gold Trust (NYSE: IAU ) was down more than
0.1%. The iShares Silver Trust (NYSE: SLV ) was down around 0.7%. Gold mining
ETFs were falling as well. The Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (NYSE: GDX ) was
about 0.5% lower. The Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (NYSE: GDXJ ) was
down nearly 2.6%. The Global X Silver Miners ETF (NYSE: SIL ) was around 0.8%
lower. Gold mining shares were broadly lower, Agnico-Eagle Mines (NYSE: AEM )
the exception. Agnico-Eagle Mines was showing gains of some 0.6%. Barrick Gold
(NYSE: ABX ) was down about 0.25%. Eldorado Gold (NYSE: EGO ) was down some
0.5%. Goldcorp (NYSE: GG ) was more than 0.7% lower. Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM )
was unchanged. NovaGold Resources (AMEX: NG ) was down 1% and more. Silver
mining shares also were heading south. Coeur dAlene Mines (NYSE: CDE ) was
moving lower, down more than 1%. Hecla Mining (NYSE: HL ) was down more than
1.7%. Pan American Silver (NASDAQ: PAAS ) was down some 0.6%. Silver Wheaton
(NYSE: SLW ) was showing losses of around 0.6%. Silver Standard Resources
(NASDAQ: SSRI ) was down nearly 1.2%. As of this writing, Andrew Burger did not
hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. Adrian Ash of
BullionVault contributed to this report.
Top 10 Most Profitable Industrial Stocks: CGNX, SNHY, NDSN, SHS, OYOG, CVVT, MKSI, GGG, ROP, MOCO (Jan 07, 2012)
Below are the top 10 most profitable Industrial stocks for the last 12 months.
One Chinese company (CVVT) is on the list. Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ:CGNX) is
the 1st most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit
margin was 21.85% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 26.87%
for the same period. Sun Hydraulics Corporation (NASDAQ:SNHY) is the 2nd most
profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 18.91%
for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 26.74% for the same
period. Nordson Corporation (NASDAQ:NDSN) is the 3rd most profitable stock in
this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 18.03% for the last 12
months. Its operating profit margin was 25.59% for the same period.
Sauer-Danfoss Inc. (NYSE:SHS) is the 4th most profitable stock in this segment
of the market. Its net profit margin was 17.78% for the last 12 months. Its
operating profit margin was 19.04% for the same period. OYO Geospace Corporation
(NASDAQ:OYOG) is the 5th most profitable stock in this segment of the market.
Its net profit margin was 17.18% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit
margin was 25.67% for the same period. China Valves Technology, Inc.
(NASDAQ:CVVT) is the 6th most profitable stock in this segment of the market.
Its net profit margin was 16.83% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit
margin was 22.69% for the same period. MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) is
the 7th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit
margin was 16.23% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 23.38%
for the same period. Graco Inc. (NYSE:GGG) is the 8th most profitable stock in
this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 15.84% for the last 12
months. Its operating profit margin was 23.94% for the same period. Roper
Industries, Inc. (NYSE:ROP) is the 9th most profitable stock in this segment of
the market. Its net profit margin was 15.08% for the last 12 months. Its
operating profit margin was 23.36% for the same period. MOCON, Inc.
(NASDAQ:MOCO) is the 10th most profitable stock in this segment of the market.
Its net profit margin was 14.97% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit
margin was 21.67% for the same period.
One Chinese company (CVVT) is on the list. Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ:CGNX) is
the 1st most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit
margin was 21.85% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 26.87%
for the same period. Sun Hydraulics Corporation (NASDAQ:SNHY) is the 2nd most
profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 18.91%
for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 26.74% for the same
period. Nordson Corporation (NASDAQ:NDSN) is the 3rd most profitable stock in
this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 18.03% for the last 12
months. Its operating profit margin was 25.59% for the same period.
Sauer-Danfoss Inc. (NYSE:SHS) is the 4th most profitable stock in this segment
of the market. Its net profit margin was 17.78% for the last 12 months. Its
operating profit margin was 19.04% for the same period. OYO Geospace Corporation
(NASDAQ:OYOG) is the 5th most profitable stock in this segment of the market.
Its net profit margin was 17.18% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit
margin was 25.67% for the same period. China Valves Technology, Inc.
(NASDAQ:CVVT) is the 6th most profitable stock in this segment of the market.
Its net profit margin was 16.83% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit
margin was 22.69% for the same period. MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) is
the 7th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit
margin was 16.23% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 23.38%
for the same period. Graco Inc. (NYSE:GGG) is the 8th most profitable stock in
this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 15.84% for the last 12
months. Its operating profit margin was 23.94% for the same period. Roper
Industries, Inc. (NYSE:ROP) is the 9th most profitable stock in this segment of
the market. Its net profit margin was 15.08% for the last 12 months. Its
operating profit margin was 23.36% for the same period. MOCON, Inc.
(NASDAQ:MOCO) is the 10th most profitable stock in this segment of the market.
Its net profit margin was 14.97% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit
margin was 21.67% for the same period.
Top 10 Best-Performing U.S.-Listed Chinese Stocks Year-to-Date: FTLK, VIT, HOGS, PWRD, EJ, DANG, CEO, PTR, CRIC, WX (Jan 07, 2012)
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 China Analyst Below are the top 10 best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stocks year-to-date. Funtalk China Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ:FTLK) is the 1st best-performing stock year-to-date in this segment of the market. It is up 26.6% year-to-date, and it is down 8.9% for the last 52 weeks. VanceInfo Technologies Inc.(ADR) (NYSE:VIT) is the 2nd best-performing stock year-to-date in this segment of the market. It is up 24.6% year-to-date, and it is down 68.3% for the last 52 weeks. ZHONGPIN INC. (NASDAQ:HOGS) is the 3rd best-performing stock year-to-date in this segment of the market. It is up 18.0% year-to-date, and it is down 46.6% for the last 52 weeks. Perfect World Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:PWRD) is the 4th best-performing stock year-to-date in this segment of the market. It is up 14.6% year-to-date, and it is down 47.6% for the last 52 weeks. E-House (China) Holdings Limited (ADR) (NYSE:EJ) is the 5th best-performing stock year-to-date in this segment of the market. It is up 13.4% year-to-date, and it is down 67.1% for the last 52 weeks. E Commerce China Dangdang Inc (ADR) (NYSE:DANG) is the 6th best-performing stock year-to-date in this segment of the market. It is up 13.0% year-to-date, and it is down 82.2% for the last 52 weeks. CNOOC Limited (ADR) (NYSE:CEO) is the 7th best-performing stock year-to-date in this segment of the market. It is up 11.5% year-to-date, and it is down 18.5% for the last 52 weeks. PetroChina Company Limited (ADR) (NYSE:PTR) is the 8th best-performing stock year-to-date in this segment of the market. It is up 10.5% year-to-date, and it is up 4.8% for the last 52 weeks. China Real Estate Information Corp (NASDAQ:CRIC) is the 9th best-performing stock year-to-date in this segment of the market. It is up 9.1% year-to-date, and it is down 51.5% for the last 52 weeks. WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) Inc. (ADR) (NYSE:WX) is the 10th best-performing stock year-to-date in this segment of the market. It is up 8.4% year-to-date, and it is down 27.7% for the last 52 weeks.
Home Almost Foreclosed Due to 80 Cent Error
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
dow2664 A man made an 80 cent error on his home mortgage payment and almost lost his house to foreclosure, according to a report by NBC news. Video: 80-cent mistake nearly costs home
Occidental CEO’s Outlandish Pay Has Bought Outstanding Performance
Countless people grouse about overpaid athletes, and for good reason. Take Los
Angeles Angels outfielder Vernon Wells, who earned $23 million this past season
yet batted just .218! Of course, at least some struggling athletes can put
paying customers in the seats on name recognition alone. Corporate CEOs,
however, dont have the same advantage. CEOs need to perform. Thus its important
to consider how a CEO is paid before you make an investment in his company.
After all, if the CEOs interests arent aligned with your interests as a
shareholder, theres no point investing. In this second of a series of articles
looking at CEO compensation, well examine the CEO compensation of Occidental
Petroleum (NYSE: OXY ) and Apache Corporation (NYSE: APA ). CEO Compensation
According to the AFL-CIOs Executive PayWatch website , there are 13 companies in
the S&P 500 from the crude petroleum and natural gas industry. The average total
compensation for those 13 CEOs in 2010 was $17 million. Occidentals CEO, Ray
Irani, earned a total of $76.1 million $56.8 million more than Apache CEO
Stephen Farris. But before applying a guilty verdict to the board of directors
at Occidental, its important that we understand how each executive is paid. Its
never black and white. Dr. Irani has been chairman and chief executive officer
of Occidental Petroleum since 1990. Its DEF14A states, Dr. Irani has built
Occidental into the fourth-largest oil and gas company in the United States,
based on equity market capitalization. His distinguished professional,
educational and career experience led him to transform Occidental from a
conglomerate of unrelated business entities into a major oil and gas and
chemical company … Thats quite an undertaking, but is it worth $76 million in
total compensation? In 2010, Ray Irani received $40.3 million in stock awards
and $31.6 million in non-equity incentive plan compensation on top of a $1.2
million salary, $1.7 million in other compensation and a $1.4 million cash bonus
paid at the discretion of the board, of which he is chairman. Dr. Irani owned
7.7 million OXY shares as of Feb. 28, 2011. At the Jan. 4, 2012, closing price
of $96.92, his shares were worth $746 million, making him a very rich man.
However, as best as I can tell, none of the shares were bought on the open
market. They were all stock awards as part of his overall compensation. In the
past five years alone, Irani has received $236.8 million in stock and option
awards. As CEO since 1990, its easy to see how he accumulated his stake. As
alluded to earlier, Apache CEO Stephen Farris earned $19.3 million in 2010.
Farris has been with the company since 1988 and CEO since May 2002. He owned
574,319 shares as of Feb. 28, 2011, worth approximately $55.4 million at current
prices. In 2010, Farris received 69% ($13.3 million) of his total compensation
in the form of stock and option awards. Irani received 53% of his total
compensation in a similar form. Farris might not make it on the Forbes Richest
Americans list anytime soon, but hes certainly comfortable. Both men are paid
well for what they do. Financial and Stock Performance Just as mutual fund unit
holders will turn a blind eye to high management fees when times are good, I
imagine the same holds true for stockholders. While $76.1 million is arguably
excessive compensation for any CEO with the possible exception of the late
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) CEO Steve Jobs, who did bring in paying customers all
shareholders really want is above-average returns on a consistent basis. And in
this respect at least, Irani delivers. Since 2003, Occidentals stock has had
seven out of nine winning years compared to six out of nine for Apache. In those
nine years, Occidentals average annual total return was 28.1% 870 basis points
higher than Apache. In addition, on the two occasions where Occidental
experienced negative returns 2008 and 2011 its losses werent nearly as great.
If preservation of capital is important to you, Occidental has served
shareholders well. From a financial perspective, Occidental also seems to have
outperformed Apache over the past nine years. While Apache grew free cash flow
108% between 2003 and 2011, Occidental managed to increase its free cash by
234%. Furthermore, its book value per share has grown 340% from $10.20 in 2003
to $44.85 in 2011. Apaches book value per share has grown 240% in the same
period. Both clearly have delivered excellent financial results in the past
decade. Bottom Line Occidental points out in its DEF14A that it has achieved
total cumulative stockholder returns of 914% during the past 10 years. While
shareholders have to be pleased, we know from Apaches example that its possible
to compensate the CEO with an industry-average wage and still get good results.
That said, you have to tip your hat to Occidentals performance. As of this
writing, Will Ashworth did not own a position in any of the stocks named here.
More From This Series: Lorillard Getting More Bang Than Altria for Its CEO Buck
Angeles Angels outfielder Vernon Wells, who earned $23 million this past season
yet batted just .218! Of course, at least some struggling athletes can put
paying customers in the seats on name recognition alone. Corporate CEOs,
however, dont have the same advantage. CEOs need to perform. Thus its important
to consider how a CEO is paid before you make an investment in his company.
After all, if the CEOs interests arent aligned with your interests as a
shareholder, theres no point investing. In this second of a series of articles
looking at CEO compensation, well examine the CEO compensation of Occidental
Petroleum (NYSE: OXY ) and Apache Corporation (NYSE: APA ). CEO Compensation
According to the AFL-CIOs Executive PayWatch website , there are 13 companies in
the S&P 500 from the crude petroleum and natural gas industry. The average total
compensation for those 13 CEOs in 2010 was $17 million. Occidentals CEO, Ray
Irani, earned a total of $76.1 million $56.8 million more than Apache CEO
Stephen Farris. But before applying a guilty verdict to the board of directors
at Occidental, its important that we understand how each executive is paid. Its
never black and white. Dr. Irani has been chairman and chief executive officer
of Occidental Petroleum since 1990. Its DEF14A states, Dr. Irani has built
Occidental into the fourth-largest oil and gas company in the United States,
based on equity market capitalization. His distinguished professional,
educational and career experience led him to transform Occidental from a
conglomerate of unrelated business entities into a major oil and gas and
chemical company … Thats quite an undertaking, but is it worth $76 million in
total compensation? In 2010, Ray Irani received $40.3 million in stock awards
and $31.6 million in non-equity incentive plan compensation on top of a $1.2
million salary, $1.7 million in other compensation and a $1.4 million cash bonus
paid at the discretion of the board, of which he is chairman. Dr. Irani owned
7.7 million OXY shares as of Feb. 28, 2011. At the Jan. 4, 2012, closing price
of $96.92, his shares were worth $746 million, making him a very rich man.
However, as best as I can tell, none of the shares were bought on the open
market. They were all stock awards as part of his overall compensation. In the
past five years alone, Irani has received $236.8 million in stock and option
awards. As CEO since 1990, its easy to see how he accumulated his stake. As
alluded to earlier, Apache CEO Stephen Farris earned $19.3 million in 2010.
Farris has been with the company since 1988 and CEO since May 2002. He owned
574,319 shares as of Feb. 28, 2011, worth approximately $55.4 million at current
prices. In 2010, Farris received 69% ($13.3 million) of his total compensation
in the form of stock and option awards. Irani received 53% of his total
compensation in a similar form. Farris might not make it on the Forbes Richest
Americans list anytime soon, but hes certainly comfortable. Both men are paid
well for what they do. Financial and Stock Performance Just as mutual fund unit
holders will turn a blind eye to high management fees when times are good, I
imagine the same holds true for stockholders. While $76.1 million is arguably
excessive compensation for any CEO with the possible exception of the late
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) CEO Steve Jobs, who did bring in paying customers all
shareholders really want is above-average returns on a consistent basis. And in
this respect at least, Irani delivers. Since 2003, Occidentals stock has had
seven out of nine winning years compared to six out of nine for Apache. In those
nine years, Occidentals average annual total return was 28.1% 870 basis points
higher than Apache. In addition, on the two occasions where Occidental
experienced negative returns 2008 and 2011 its losses werent nearly as great.
If preservation of capital is important to you, Occidental has served
shareholders well. From a financial perspective, Occidental also seems to have
outperformed Apache over the past nine years. While Apache grew free cash flow
108% between 2003 and 2011, Occidental managed to increase its free cash by
234%. Furthermore, its book value per share has grown 340% from $10.20 in 2003
to $44.85 in 2011. Apaches book value per share has grown 240% in the same
period. Both clearly have delivered excellent financial results in the past
decade. Bottom Line Occidental points out in its DEF14A that it has achieved
total cumulative stockholder returns of 914% during the past 10 years. While
shareholders have to be pleased, we know from Apaches example that its possible
to compensate the CEO with an industry-average wage and still get good results.
That said, you have to tip your hat to Occidentals performance. As of this
writing, Will Ashworth did not own a position in any of the stocks named here.
More From This Series: Lorillard Getting More Bang Than Altria for Its CEO Buck
Top 10 Best-Performing U.S.-Listed Chinese Stocks Year-to-Date: FTLK, VIT, HOGS, PWRD, EJ, DANG, CEO, PTR, CRIC, WX (Jan 07, 2012)
Below are the top 10 best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stocks year-to-date.
Funtalk China Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ:FTLK) is the 1st best-performing stock
year-to-date in this segment of the market. It is up 26.6% year-to-date, and it
is down 8.9% for the last 52 weeks. VanceInfo Technologies Inc.(ADR) (NYSE:VIT)
is the 2nd best-performing stock year-to-date in this segment of the market. It
is up 24.6% year-to-date, and it is down 68.3% for the last 52 weeks. ZHONGPIN
INC. (NASDAQ:HOGS) is the 3rd best-performing stock year-to-date in this segment
of the market. It is up 18.0% year-to-date, and it is down 46.6% for the last 52
weeks. Perfect World Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:PWRD) is the 4th best-performing
stock year-to-date in this segment of the market. It is up 14.6% year-to-date,
and it is down 47.6% for the last 52 weeks. E-House (China) Holdings Limited
(ADR) (NYSE:EJ) is the 5th best-performing stock year-to-date in this segment of
the market. It is up 13.4% year-to-date, and it is down 67.1% for the last 52
weeks. E Commerce China Dangdang Inc (ADR) (NYSE:DANG) is the 6th
best-performing stock year-to-date in this segment of the market. It is up 13.0%
year-to-date, and it is down 82.2% for the last 52 weeks. CNOOC Limited (ADR)
(NYSE:CEO) is the 7th best-performing stock year-to-date in this segment of the
market. It is up 11.5% year-to-date, and it is down 18.5% for the last 52 weeks.
PetroChina Company Limited (ADR) (NYSE:PTR) is the 8th best-performing stock
year-to-date in this segment of the market. It is up 10.5% year-to-date, and it
is up 4.8% for the last 52 weeks. China Real Estate Information Corp
(NASDAQ:CRIC) is the 9th best-performing stock year-to-date in this segment of
the market. It is up 9.1% year-to-date, and it is down 51.5% for the last 52
weeks. WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) Inc. (ADR) (NYSE:WX) is the 10th best-performing
stock year-to-date in this segment of the market. It is up 8.4% year-to-date,
and it is down 27.7% for the last 52 weeks.
Funtalk China Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ:FTLK) is the 1st best-performing stock
year-to-date in this segment of the market. It is up 26.6% year-to-date, and it
is down 8.9% for the last 52 weeks. VanceInfo Technologies Inc.(ADR) (NYSE:VIT)
is the 2nd best-performing stock year-to-date in this segment of the market. It
is up 24.6% year-to-date, and it is down 68.3% for the last 52 weeks. ZHONGPIN
INC. (NASDAQ:HOGS) is the 3rd best-performing stock year-to-date in this segment
of the market. It is up 18.0% year-to-date, and it is down 46.6% for the last 52
weeks. Perfect World Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:PWRD) is the 4th best-performing
stock year-to-date in this segment of the market. It is up 14.6% year-to-date,
and it is down 47.6% for the last 52 weeks. E-House (China) Holdings Limited
(ADR) (NYSE:EJ) is the 5th best-performing stock year-to-date in this segment of
the market. It is up 13.4% year-to-date, and it is down 67.1% for the last 52
weeks. E Commerce China Dangdang Inc (ADR) (NYSE:DANG) is the 6th
best-performing stock year-to-date in this segment of the market. It is up 13.0%
year-to-date, and it is down 82.2% for the last 52 weeks. CNOOC Limited (ADR)
(NYSE:CEO) is the 7th best-performing stock year-to-date in this segment of the
market. It is up 11.5% year-to-date, and it is down 18.5% for the last 52 weeks.
PetroChina Company Limited (ADR) (NYSE:PTR) is the 8th best-performing stock
year-to-date in this segment of the market. It is up 10.5% year-to-date, and it
is up 4.8% for the last 52 weeks. China Real Estate Information Corp
(NASDAQ:CRIC) is the 9th best-performing stock year-to-date in this segment of
the market. It is up 9.1% year-to-date, and it is down 51.5% for the last 52
weeks. WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) Inc. (ADR) (NYSE:WX) is the 10th best-performing
stock year-to-date in this segment of the market. It is up 8.4% year-to-date,
and it is down 27.7% for the last 52 weeks.
Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Makes Big Patent Buy
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 E money daily Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) has purchased 222 patents from IBM. Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Makes Big Patent Buy The search titan Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) has acquired 222 more patents from IBM, and they were transferred to the company in the last week of 2011. The company acquired patents related to email management, e-commerce, instant messaging, mobile webpage display, server backup, tuning and recovery and database tuning. The company bought nearly 2000 patents from IBM last year. A Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) spokesman confirmed the purchase, but he did not disclose the details of the purchase. He also did not comment on how these acquisitions help the company's products and its customers. Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) stocks are currently standing at 665.41. Price History Last Price: 665.41 52 Week Low / High: 473.02 / 668.15 50 Day Moving Average: 607.78 6 Month Price Change %: 24.0% 12 Month Price Change %: 7.9%
The Gold Price was Stopped by $1,625 This Week, it Will Charge at this Mark Again Taking Gold to $1,870
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
DG365FD46564GFH654FU898 Gold Price Close Today : 1,616.10 Gold Price Close 30-Dec : 1,565.80 Change : 50.30 or 3.2% Silver Price Close Today : 2865.30 Silver Price Close 30-Dec : 2787.50 Change : 77.80 or 2.8% Gold Silver Ratio Today : 56.402 Gold Silver Ratio 30-Dec : 56.172 Change : 0.23 or 0.4% Silver Gold Ratio : 0.01773 Silver Gold Ratio 30-Dec : 0.01780 Change : -0.00007 or -0.4% Dow in Gold Dollars : $ 158.10 Dow in Gold Dollars 30-Dec : $ 161.30 Change : $ (3.20) or -2.0% Dow in Gold Ounces : 7.648 Dow in Gold Ounces 30-Dec : 7.803 Change : -0.15 or -2.0% Dow in Silver Ounces : 431.37 Dow in Silver Ounces 30-Dec : 438.30 Change : -6.93 or -1.6% Dow Industrial : 12,359.92 Dow Industrial 30-Dec : 12,217.56 Change : 142.36 or 1.2% S&P 500 : 1,277.81 S&P 500 30-Dec : 1,257.60 Change : 20.21 or 1.6% US Dollar Index : 81.264 US Dollar Index 30-Dec : 80.205 Change : 1.059 or 1.3% Platinum Price Close Today : 1,401.00 Platinum Price Close 30-Dec : 1,393.30 Change : 7.70 or 0.6% Palladium Price Close Today : 613.20 Palladium Price Close 30-Dec : 649.50 Change : -36.30 or -5.6% The GOLD PRICE had a strong week and so did the SILVER PRICE , but silver kept not pace. Today gold lost $3.30 (-.2%) to close Comex at 1,616.10 while silver lost 61.2c (-2.1%) to close at 2865.30 Yet, behold the week! GOLD rose 3.2% and SILVER rose 2.8%. Highs for gold today came at $1,631 and for silver at 2945.2c. Lows were 2862c and 1608.75. This week $1,625 stopped gold. It will back off, then charge at that same mark again. This rally should take gold to $1,870 at least before it seriously corrects. Bottom for the GOLD PRICE has probably been seen, for the SILVER PRICE I’m not as sure. Bottoms for both will be behind us by 1 March 2012. There’s a tendency — not always followed — for silver and gold to bottom within a few days of each other, which also means the GOLD/SILVER RATIO tops around their bottoms. HOWEVER, sometimes that peak might lag 30 – 60 days as gold stays flat and silver keeps eroding. Ratio will likely repeat that staggered performance, and ’twill be a fall in silver that takes the ratio down sooner than a big rise in gold. This bottom picking for silver is becoming a risky and unprofitable business. Watch it closely, buy more as it falls. May not see any price below 2622. This week 2960c stopped silver, but it has held on three days refusing to drop back below 2850c. Break of that 2850c would take silver down a couple of bucks, break of 2960c would take it up two, maybe three bucks. GOLD PRICE and the SILVER PRICE remain in a primary uptrend (bull market). This correction offers y’all a chance to load your boats again, cheap. Scoreboard don’t lie. Silver and gold had a good week despite the US dollar index’s 1.3% gain. Stocks added big time this week, then practiced subtracting, and Friday ended lower than Monday. Palladium got hit on the head with a sledge hammer. Gold/Silver ratio is edging up toward our 57.5 target. Somebody has floated the rumor out there that “Bernanke is going to devalue the dollar 40%.” This reminds me of the man who stands on the front porch with a shotgun, fiercely daring anyone to steal his property while out the back door the thieves are loading his furniture and appliances into a moving van. Since 2001 the US dollar has dropped from 121 to 81, or 33%. While y’all are worrying about the Bernancubus devaluing by 40% SUDDENLY, he and the Greenspan have already devalued it SLOWLY by 33%. Rumors and internet hysteria — they merely misdirect your attention from what’s important. Wonder what department in the US government is responsible for floating rumors? Disinformation, the Soviets used to call it. INCOMPREHENSIBLE — that’s what my friend Catherine Fitts warned me today is coming in 2012. What you hear grows more incomprehensible as more and more commentators fail to comprehend what is happening. Economy ain’t recovering, cavalry ain’t coming but more inflation is. And it mattereth not which of the flyweight nitwit smoothtalkers is elected. STOCKS today dropped a little, giving up more of this week’s gains. Dow closed 12,359.92 55.78 (0.45%) lower than yesterday’s close and 37.46 lower than Monday’s. S&P500 today closed at 1,277.81, down 3.25 (0.25%). Stocks may rally before the end of the month as high as 12,600, maybe 200 points higher on a spike, but that will limit it. Rest of the year will fill stock investors with weeping, wailing, teeth-gnashing, and hair-pulling. US DOLLAR INDEX gained 32.8 basis points today (0-.42%) to 81.264. Dollar has gained 111 basis points in two days, a sign that this week’s upside breakout was genuine and has some legs. Should overcome 81.50 early next week and march toward 83.50. Nice Government Men must be puking in their wastebaskets. Not to mention the European NGM. Euro fell 0.58% today to 1.2713, riding the roller coaster toward 1.2000. Eventually this will cause the US NGM to puke in their wastebaskets, as this competitive currency devaluation (Shades of the Great Depression!) makes US exports dearer. Japanese NGM showed this week they wouldn’t abide a rising currency. Closed today 129.93c/Y100 (Y76.96/$1), up 0.19% but contained for the nonce. Today is Epiphany or the Feast of the Three Kings celebrating the visit of the three magi to the baby Jesus. SPECIAL OFFER U.S. $5 and $10 modern commemoratives. These are US $5 and $10 gold commemoratives minted to the ancient standard over the past 20 years. The US gold $5 commemorative contains 0.2418 oz gold and costs US$404.75 while the US gold $10 commem contains just twice as much gold, 0.4838 oz, and costs US$809.50. Premium over gold content value for these is a tiny 3.5%. I will sell lots of Five (5) each $5 gold commems ($404.75 each) for $2,023.75 + $25 shipping = $2,048.75 per lot. A $10 gold counts as two $5 golds, so you can order one $10 and three $5s and that equals five $5s. I reserve the right to mix the orders as suits me, but have mostly $5s, so you’ll most likely get those. Limit ten (10) lots per customer. Special Conditions: First come, first served, and no re-orders at these prices. I will write orders based on the time I receive your e-mail. We will not take orders for less than the minimums shown above. All sales on a strict “no-nag” basis. We will ship as soon as your check clears, but we allow Two weeks (14 days) for your check to clear. Calls looking for your order two days after we receive your check will be politely and patiently rebuffed. If you want faster shipping, please send a wire. Spot gold basis for all prices above is $1,616.10 ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS: 1. You may order by e-mail only to . No phone orders, please. Your email must include your complete name, address, and phone number. We cannot ship to you without your address. Sorry, we cannot ship outside the United States or to Tennessee. Repeat, you must include your complete name, address, and phone number. Our clairvoyant quit without warning last week and we can no longer read your mind. 2. Orders are on a first-come, first-served basis until supply is exhausted. 3. “First come, first-served” means that we will enter the orders in the order that we receive them by e-mail. 4. If your order is filled, we will e-mail you a confirmation. If you do not receive a confirmation, your order was not filled. 5. You will need to send payment by personal check or bank wire (either one is fine) within 48 hours. It just needs to be in the mail, not in our hands, in 48 hours. 6. We allow fourteen (14) days for personal checks to clear before we ship. If your hurry is greater than that, you can send a bank wire. Once we ship, the post office takes four to fourteen days to get the registered mail package to you. All in all, you’ll see your order in about one month if you send a check. Y’all enjoy your weekend! Argentum et aurum comparenda sunt — – Gold and silver must be bought. – Franklin Sanders, The Moneychanger The-MoneyChanger.com © 2012, 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.
Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Third Week of January 2012
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
dow2664 Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called ‘Buying Dividends’. This is the process of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend . This technique generally works only in bull markets. In flat or choppy markets, you have to be extremely careful, and may need to avoid the technique during those times. In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can’t sell the stock until after the ex date. The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend during the next week or two. The list contains many dividend paying companies, all with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the market capitalization, the ex-dividend date and the yield. Comtech Telecomm. Corp. (CMTL) market cap: $594.2M ex div date: 1/18/2012 yield: 3.8% Western Asset High Income Fund II Inc. (HIX) market cap: $808.5M ex div date: 1/18/2012 yield: 10.5% Imperial Tobacco Group PLC (ITYBY) market cap: $37.4B ex div date: 1/18/2012 yield: 4.1% Main Street Capital Corporation (MAIN) market cap: $539.8M ex div date: 1/18/2012 yield: 8.0% Putnam Municipal Opportunities Trust (PMO) market cap: $516.2M ex div date: 1/20/2012 yield: 6.6% Putnam Premier Income Trust (PPT) market cap: $740.1M ex div date: 1/20/2012 yield: 7.0% The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found at wsnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn’t show up, you may have to empty your cache.) If you like dividend stocks, you should check out the high yield utility stocks and the Monthly Dividend Stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com. Dividend definitions: Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend. Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend. Monthly Dividend Stock List Record date : the day when you must be on the company’s books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks two business days before the record date. Payment date: the day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date. Don’t forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique. Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written. By Stockerblog.com
Analyst Actions on Chinese Stocks for the Week Ended Jan 7, 2012
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 China Analyst Below are the
Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Makes Big Patent Buy
Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) has purchased 222 patents from IBM. Google Inc.
(NASDAQ:GOOG) Makes Big Patent Buy The search titan Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG)
has acquired 222 more patents from IBM, and they were transferred to the company
in the last week of 2011. The company acquired patents related to email
management, e-commerce, instant messaging, mobile webpage display, server
backup, tuning and recovery and database tuning. The company bought nearly 2000
patents from IBM last year. A Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) spokesman confirmed the
purchase, but he did not disclose the details of the purchase. He also did not
comment on how these acquisitions help the company's products and its
customers. Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) stocks are currently standing at 665.41.
Price History Last Price: 665.41 52 Week Low / High: 473.02 / 668.15 50 Day
Moving Average: 607.78 6 Month Price Change %: 24.0% 12 Month Price Change %:
7.9%
(NASDAQ:GOOG) Makes Big Patent Buy The search titan Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG)
has acquired 222 more patents from IBM, and they were transferred to the company
in the last week of 2011. The company acquired patents related to email
management, e-commerce, instant messaging, mobile webpage display, server
backup, tuning and recovery and database tuning. The company bought nearly 2000
patents from IBM last year. A Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) spokesman confirmed the
purchase, but he did not disclose the details of the purchase. He also did not
comment on how these acquisitions help the company's products and its
customers. Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) stocks are currently standing at 665.41.
Price History Last Price: 665.41 52 Week Low / High: 473.02 / 668.15 50 Day
Moving Average: 607.78 6 Month Price Change %: 24.0% 12 Month Price Change %:
7.9%
Forget One-Time Charges — Alcoa Is Your Best Stock for 2012
Aluminum stock Alcoa (NYSE: AA ) announced this week that it will be taking a
significant one-time charge from moves to cut smelting capacity. In the short
term, this might seem like trouble with Alcoa stock down more than 2% at the
open Friday but buy-and-hold investors might want to buy in on this dip. AA
stock has seen better days, to be sure. Shares are off about 70% from early 2008
and down about 40% in the past year. But the fact is Alcoa fundamentals are
improving, in large part because of restructuring moves like this one that
provide short-term pain but make the aluminum giant much more competitive in the
long run. Alcoa remains my pick for one of the 10 best investments to buy and
hold for all of 2012 . Here are the specifics of the recent charges: Alcoa will
write off 15 to 16 cents per share in its fourth-quarter results thanks to moves
that cut about 12% of its global smelting capacity. It will permanently close a
smelter in Tennessee, along with two of six idled potlines at a Texas facility.
Further curtailments will be announced "in the near future," the company
said. Why would cutting back capacity be a good thing? Well, for one, demand is
weaker after the financial crisis. Durable goods and construction products using
aluminum just aren't selling as fast as they used to. But another important
reason is that aluminum prices are very soft, off about 27% from peak levels in
2011, and slashing supply will provide a floor for the price of Alcoa's
aluminum that it provides to manufacturers. True, Alcoa isn't sexy. It's a
stodgy Dow Jones component that is hardly a 21st century company like Apple
(NASDAQ: AAPL ). And true, the headwinds Alcoa faces are obvious and pretty
significant. But Wall Street has unfairly battered this industrial giant, and
that creates a big opportunity for buy-and-hold investors. Alcoa is a bargain.
AA stock hasn't seen the $9 level since spring 2009. Do you really have less
confidence in the economy than you did almost three years ago, when the sting of
the financial crisis was fresh in all our minds? Alcoa has a forward P/E of
about 10 right now and a price/book of less than 0.7, so the depressed pricing
seems to be an overreaction. Fundamentally, Alcoa is looking better than you
might think, too. Alcoa has seen year-over-year profit increases in each of the
last eight quarters. It also has seen revenue go up year-over-year for seven
straight quarters. There's also a modest 1.3% dividend to sweeten the pot,
with the potential of an increase in 2012. That payment has been stagnant since
March 2009, and stability in the company might mean a decent uptick in the
quarterly payday for shareholders, since a dividend increase is long overdue. As
I said, Alcoa is my selection for the Best Stock of 2012 . You can read my
complete recommendation on Alcoa here. Full disclosure: In the spirit of taking
my own advice, I purchased 540 shares of AA stock at $8.95 on Dec. 14. I hope
that adds a bit of realism to my commentary on the stock across 2012! 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.
significant one-time charge from moves to cut smelting capacity. In the short
term, this might seem like trouble with Alcoa stock down more than 2% at the
open Friday but buy-and-hold investors might want to buy in on this dip. AA
stock has seen better days, to be sure. Shares are off about 70% from early 2008
and down about 40% in the past year. But the fact is Alcoa fundamentals are
improving, in large part because of restructuring moves like this one that
provide short-term pain but make the aluminum giant much more competitive in the
long run. Alcoa remains my pick for one of the 10 best investments to buy and
hold for all of 2012 . Here are the specifics of the recent charges: Alcoa will
write off 15 to 16 cents per share in its fourth-quarter results thanks to moves
that cut about 12% of its global smelting capacity. It will permanently close a
smelter in Tennessee, along with two of six idled potlines at a Texas facility.
Further curtailments will be announced "in the near future," the company
said. Why would cutting back capacity be a good thing? Well, for one, demand is
weaker after the financial crisis. Durable goods and construction products using
aluminum just aren't selling as fast as they used to. But another important
reason is that aluminum prices are very soft, off about 27% from peak levels in
2011, and slashing supply will provide a floor for the price of Alcoa's
aluminum that it provides to manufacturers. True, Alcoa isn't sexy. It's a
stodgy Dow Jones component that is hardly a 21st century company like Apple
(NASDAQ: AAPL ). And true, the headwinds Alcoa faces are obvious and pretty
significant. But Wall Street has unfairly battered this industrial giant, and
that creates a big opportunity for buy-and-hold investors. Alcoa is a bargain.
AA stock hasn't seen the $9 level since spring 2009. Do you really have less
confidence in the economy than you did almost three years ago, when the sting of
the financial crisis was fresh in all our minds? Alcoa has a forward P/E of
about 10 right now and a price/book of less than 0.7, so the depressed pricing
seems to be an overreaction. Fundamentally, Alcoa is looking better than you
might think, too. Alcoa has seen year-over-year profit increases in each of the
last eight quarters. It also has seen revenue go up year-over-year for seven
straight quarters. There's also a modest 1.3% dividend to sweeten the pot,
with the potential of an increase in 2012. That payment has been stagnant since
March 2009, and stability in the company might mean a decent uptick in the
quarterly payday for shareholders, since a dividend increase is long overdue. As
I said, Alcoa is my selection for the Best Stock of 2012 . You can read my
complete recommendation on Alcoa here. Full disclosure: In the spirit of taking
my own advice, I purchased 540 shares of AA stock at $8.95 on Dec. 14. I hope
that adds a bit of realism to my commentary on the stock across 2012! 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.
Todays Light Sweet Crude Oil Price per barrel; Gas Price per gallon; LON:BP Stock Quote Close Green; Oil Gas Price News
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dow2664 Oil and Gas Market News: Oil price per barrel dropped into the red last session and other primary oil and gas indicators finished the last session of the first trading week in 2012 green. Index trends were choppy throughout the whole of the first week of trading as developments in the Middle East continued to affect oil and gas price outcomes. Iranian threats continue to resonate. The result of Iran’s recent missile launch and threats to shut down the Strait of Hormuz have caused volatility in the oil and gas marketplace. Oil price rose higher during the course of the last trading week by approximately 2 percent. Oil Prices Gas Prices Close: Oil Light Crude February contract finished the last trading session in the red by .25 percent at 101.56 per barrel according to end of day posted floor price. Heating Oil February contract finished the last session green by 1.03 percent at 3.07 per gallon. February contract Natural Gas finished the last trading session higher by 2.75 percent at 3.06 per million BTUs. February contract Unleaded gas finished the last trading session green by .55 percent at 2.75 per gallon. Stock Quote Close: BP Stock closed out the last trading session in the green. BP finished the last session higher by .82 percent at 477.93. Div/yield for BP was 4.39/3.67. Camillo Zucari
3 Power-Trading Principles for 2012
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tdp2664 InvestorPlace It's often said that baseball is a game of inches. For example, if that fly ball would have been just a few inches higher, it would have been a game-winning home run instead of an inning-ending out. Or if that grounder down the third-base line would have traveled just inches to the right, it would have been a double and not merely a foul ball. Well, trading is a lot like baseball. Get one thing just a little bit wrong, and it could mean the difference between money in the bank and money out the window. I realize it's all too easy for investors to make a mistake and get one or more of what I consider to be three critical variables wrong. I know this because I've just about seen it all in the trading game, and admittedly, somewhere in my long-lost trading past, I've made these same mistakes myself. So what are these three all-important variables, or Power Principles , as I call them, and how do you make sure you get them right in 2012? Let's take a look: Power Principle #1 — Find the Right Stocks to Trade On the surface, this is obvious. That's because no matter how good your trading techniques are, without the right stocks, you aren't going to make any real money. And though it's easy to merely state that finding the right stocks is key to your trading success, it's a quite a bit more difficult to know how to identify those stocks. Power Principle #2 — Get Into the Trade at the Right Price After identifying the right stocks to trade, it's often very important to know at what price you want to buy those stocks. Sometimes, just putting in a market order isn't good enough. Frequently, a trade is sound only when you can get it under a certain predetermined price. If you really want to make sure your trading is at a high level in 2012, be über-aware of precisely at what point you want to buy a stock. The corollary is to know the price at which you want to sell a stock — and that leads us to our third and final trading principle. Power Principle #3 — Know Your Profit Target and Your Loss Target When you decide to go on a road trip to a specific destination, do you check a map or a GPS unit to see what the best route is, or do you just put the keys in the ignition, hit the gas and start driving in the hope that you'll eventually get where you need to go? We think it's prudent to have a navigation plan that maps out your twists and turns down the road to profitable investing. To do this, start by knowing your profit target and your loss target. On the profit side of the equation, you may want to set a conservative target of 8% above your original buy price. You can extend this price target higher if you want to be more aggressive. But when trading, there's nothing wrong with capturing a quick 8% in one position. Of course, part of trading is getting a few picks wrong from time to time, and when that happens, you'll want to limit your downside to just 5%. Think of this limited downside as a little insurance policy that comes via a 5% stop-loss order on all of your trading positions. Finally, you must realize that nobody can control the external variables influencing the stock market, but what you can control is how you approach every trade. Armed with these three Power Principles , you'll put yourself en route to winning trading results in 2012. This article originally appeared on Traders Reserve .
Gold and Silver Ended the Week Falling –Recap January 6
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DG365FD46564GFH654FU898 Gold and silver prices changed direction and ended up moderately falling on the last day of the week; WTI crude oil price also slipped yesterday; on the other hand natural gas future price rallied on Friday. Major currencies such as Euro and Australian dollar continued to depreciate against the U.S dollar. Here is a summary of the price developments of precious metals and energy commodities for January 6th, 2012: Precious Metals Prices: Gold price slightly declined on Friday by 0.20% to $1,616.80; Silver price also fell by 2.09% to reach $28.68. During January, gold price inclined by 3.2%, and silver price by 2.75%.
Todays Gold price per ounce Spot gold price per gram; Spot silver price per ounce; Philadelphia Gold Silver Index XAU; GoldCorp GG
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dow2664 Gold Silver Market News: The dollar rose once again during the last trading session versus a basket of other currencies. The dollar gained strength versus the euro and this action continued to pressure precious metal gold positioning. No clear end of the eurozone debt crisis is in sight and pressures stemming from the crisis should continue to affect market trends. Market volatility will continue to keep investors guessing. Gold and silver both finished red last session Gold Silver Price Close: Gold contract for February delivery closed the last trading session on the negative side of break-even by .20 percent at 1616.80 per troy ounce. Gold price trend-line has sloped negatively over the course of the last several weeks. One month change for gold price trend-line is negative by about 6.19 percent at this point in time. Silver contract for March delivery closed out in the red by 2.09 percent at 28.68 per troy ounce. Silver price trend-line has been negative over the course of the last several weeks. One month change analysis for silver is negative by 11.29 percent at this point in time. Gold Silver Index: The Philadelphia gold and silver index XAU dropped back again last session by about .8 percent to 187.47. Goldcorp GG fell back by 2.0 percent last session as well. Camillo Zucari
Todays DJIA Dow Jones Industrial Average DJI; DIS Walt Disney Stock Quote Up; Nasdaq, S&P 500; Today’s Stock Market Investing News
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dow2664 Dow, Nasdaq, S&P 500 Index Trends: Trend-line movement for the Dow , Nasdaq, and S&P 500 was choppy this week and market trends should remain under pressure throughout the immediate future. Primary pressure affecting the Dow and other stock indices stem, in part, from the ongoing eurozone debt crisis. The DJIA , Nasdaq and S&P 500 were pressured once again to finish off the last session of trading for the opening week of the 2012 calendar year. Stock Market News USA: Economic news posting in the U.S. to end the week was positively skewed. According to the U.S. government data, employers added an additional 200,000 jobs to their payrolls in the month of December. This news was better than expected. Also better than expected was the national unemployment rate. This mark was expected to tick just higher but instead, the mark lowered once again. The national unemployment rate posted lower at 8.5 percent. These positively skewed reports went up against the ongoing negativity relevant to the government debt and banking problems in the eurozone. Although European leaders are scheduled to meet this month to discuss next steps of a resolution action plan, no definitive procedures have been publicized and thus the volatility remains. DJIA, Nasdaq, S&P 500 Index Close: Officially, the primary indices in the U.S. closed out mixed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed lower by .45 percent at 12,359.92. The S&P 500 closed lower as well by .245 percent at 1,277.81. The Nasdaq finished the last session of the week green by .16 percent and closed at 2,674.22. Walt Disney Stock: One of the big gainers for the day was Walt Disney Company . DIS finished the day higher by .42 percent at 39.91. Previous close for Walt Disney was 39.50. Frank Matto
An Apple Dividend in 2012? Keep Praying
Apple investors should be some of the happiest shareholders on Wall Street. And
for the most part, they are. But when it comes to the question of dividends, the
gratitude vanishes. Year after year, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) investors ask about a
dividend. Year after year, Apple declines to offer one, rewarding shareholders
instead with handsome returns in its stock value. Apple returned investors more
than 25% in 2011, a year when the rest of the market basically flat-lined. Now,
investors and analysts have gone from asking about a dividend to predicting that
Apple will pay one in 2012. An analyst from ISI Group went on CNBC to declare
that an Apple dividend " is going to happen ." Earlier, a fund manager at
Gamco Investors made a similar claim . Even IAC s (NASDAQ: IACI ) Barry Diller
disparaged the concept of growth companies not having to pay dividends as
"outdated and somewhat inane." Nevermind that Apple last paid out a dividend
17 years ago, when Michael Spindler was CEO. Or that Steve Jobs – who made
tens of millions of dollars a year from Disney (NYSE: DIS ) dividends – never
felt a need for one, preferring to have large piles of cash as a safeguard that
allowed Apple to take risks. Now that Jobs is no longer involved, investors are
cranking up their expectations that a dividend to come. After all, Apples cash
pile keeps growing – from $40 billion a year ago to $80 billion today. And
analysts figure free cash flow will keep adding $40 billion a year for the next
couple of years. And besides, Apples stock, valued at a moderate 15 times
earnings, could get a boost by the increased demand that a dividend would create
in the stock. Apples new CEO Tim Cook is clearly facing pressure to pay a
dividend. He mentioned in a recent conference call with analysts that hes "not
religious" about holding or not holding cash. Some read into his words a
softer stance on the dividend issue, but the language is as vague and
noncommittal as Jobss old comments on Apples cash. In time, Apple may capitulate
to investor demands, but that time isnt likely to come in 2012. Here are some
reasons why. In Silicon Valley, dividends are a sign youre over the hill. Theyre
what you pay to mollify investors who want to know why growth is slowing. But
Apples revenue is expected to rise 29% this year with earnings increasing by
25%. Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT ) pays dividends. Google (NASDAQ: GOOG ) doesnt.
And Apple doesnt want to be seen as losing face before its rivals. Apple is also
seen in the tech industry as the worlds largest startup. True, this
"startup" has a $388 billion market cap, but Apple is regarded as the prime
example of a tech giant that can still innovate like a scrappy newcomer.
Startups view cash the way Jobs did – as a cushion to protect you when risks
dont pay off. Handing it to investors signals to software developers everywhere
that you're losing your edge. In fact, for all of Silicon Valleys materialism,
it also has a strong current of idealism that Apple embodied under Jobs.
Cook's Apple is keen on preserving the ideals of its longtime CEO, so a
dividend so soon after Jobs's death would look like a step away from those
ideals. In addition, most of Apples cash is overseas. Like Google and Cisco
(NASDAQ:CSCO), Apple invests much of its profits in countries with lower tax
rates. To pay a dividend, Apple would need to repatriate cash and also pay a
U.S. corporate tax rate closer to 35%. If the U.S. grants a tax holiday, Apple
may give in and pay a dividend. But a tax holiday looks unlikely in 2012. The
calls for an Apple dividend arent likely to go away, and in fact will increase
as the company's cash pile grows. But the simple reality is that tech
investors need an Apple dividend much more than Apple needs to pay one. The kind
of reliable growth that Apple delivers regularly is hard to come by, even in the
tech sector. Few investors are foolish enough to punish Apple by selling their
shares. And that leaves complaining as their only option.
for the most part, they are. But when it comes to the question of dividends, the
gratitude vanishes. Year after year, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) investors ask about a
dividend. Year after year, Apple declines to offer one, rewarding shareholders
instead with handsome returns in its stock value. Apple returned investors more
than 25% in 2011, a year when the rest of the market basically flat-lined. Now,
investors and analysts have gone from asking about a dividend to predicting that
Apple will pay one in 2012. An analyst from ISI Group went on CNBC to declare
that an Apple dividend " is going to happen ." Earlier, a fund manager at
Gamco Investors made a similar claim . Even IAC s (NASDAQ: IACI ) Barry Diller
disparaged the concept of growth companies not having to pay dividends as
"outdated and somewhat inane." Nevermind that Apple last paid out a dividend
17 years ago, when Michael Spindler was CEO. Or that Steve Jobs – who made
tens of millions of dollars a year from Disney (NYSE: DIS ) dividends – never
felt a need for one, preferring to have large piles of cash as a safeguard that
allowed Apple to take risks. Now that Jobs is no longer involved, investors are
cranking up their expectations that a dividend to come. After all, Apples cash
pile keeps growing – from $40 billion a year ago to $80 billion today. And
analysts figure free cash flow will keep adding $40 billion a year for the next
couple of years. And besides, Apples stock, valued at a moderate 15 times
earnings, could get a boost by the increased demand that a dividend would create
in the stock. Apples new CEO Tim Cook is clearly facing pressure to pay a
dividend. He mentioned in a recent conference call with analysts that hes "not
religious" about holding or not holding cash. Some read into his words a
softer stance on the dividend issue, but the language is as vague and
noncommittal as Jobss old comments on Apples cash. In time, Apple may capitulate
to investor demands, but that time isnt likely to come in 2012. Here are some
reasons why. In Silicon Valley, dividends are a sign youre over the hill. Theyre
what you pay to mollify investors who want to know why growth is slowing. But
Apples revenue is expected to rise 29% this year with earnings increasing by
25%. Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT ) pays dividends. Google (NASDAQ: GOOG ) doesnt.
And Apple doesnt want to be seen as losing face before its rivals. Apple is also
seen in the tech industry as the worlds largest startup. True, this
"startup" has a $388 billion market cap, but Apple is regarded as the prime
example of a tech giant that can still innovate like a scrappy newcomer.
Startups view cash the way Jobs did – as a cushion to protect you when risks
dont pay off. Handing it to investors signals to software developers everywhere
that you're losing your edge. In fact, for all of Silicon Valleys materialism,
it also has a strong current of idealism that Apple embodied under Jobs.
Cook's Apple is keen on preserving the ideals of its longtime CEO, so a
dividend so soon after Jobs's death would look like a step away from those
ideals. In addition, most of Apples cash is overseas. Like Google and Cisco
(NASDAQ:CSCO), Apple invests much of its profits in countries with lower tax
rates. To pay a dividend, Apple would need to repatriate cash and also pay a
U.S. corporate tax rate closer to 35%. If the U.S. grants a tax holiday, Apple
may give in and pay a dividend. But a tax holiday looks unlikely in 2012. The
calls for an Apple dividend arent likely to go away, and in fact will increase
as the company's cash pile grows. But the simple reality is that tech
investors need an Apple dividend much more than Apple needs to pay one. The kind
of reliable growth that Apple delivers regularly is hard to come by, even in the
tech sector. Few investors are foolish enough to punish Apple by selling their
shares. And that leaves complaining as their only option.
Gold and Silver Ended the Week Falling –Recap January 6
Gold and silver prices changed direction and ended up moderately falling on the
last day of the week; WTI crude oil price also slipped yesterday; on the other
hand natural gas future price rallied on Friday. Major currencies such as Euro
and Australian dollar continued to depreciate against the U.S dollar. Here is a
summary of the price developments of precious metals and energy commodities for
January 6th, 2012: Precious Metals Prices: Gold price slightly declined on
Friday by 0.20% to $1,616.80; Silver price also fell by 2.09% to reach $28.68.
During January, gold price inclined by 3.2%, and silver price by 2.75%.
last day of the week; WTI crude oil price also slipped yesterday; on the other
hand natural gas future price rallied on Friday. Major currencies such as Euro
and Australian dollar continued to depreciate against the U.S dollar. Here is a
summary of the price developments of precious metals and energy commodities for
January 6th, 2012: Precious Metals Prices: Gold price slightly declined on
Friday by 0.20% to $1,616.80; Silver price also fell by 2.09% to reach $28.68.
During January, gold price inclined by 3.2%, and silver price by 2.75%.
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