For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – October 19, 2009 – Zacks.com releases the list of companies likely to issue earnings surprises. This week’s list includes Eastman Chemical (EMN), E.I. DuPont (DD), T. Rowe Price (TROW), Western Digital (WDC) and SuperValu (SVU). To see more earnings analysis, visit http://at.zacks.com/?id=3207.

Every day, Zacks.com makes 4 stock picks available, free of charge. To see them, go to http://at.zacks.com/?id=5612.

This Week's Events

Third-quarter earnings season hits full stride this week with 439 companies confirmed to report. More than of a quarter of these are from the S&P 500 (135 companies).

Housing data will be the highlight on the economic calendar. The existing home sales data will be influenced by the first-time home buyers' credit. The starts and permits data could be more interesting, especially if they show fear on the part of builders about the subsidy

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – September 28, 2009 – Zacks.com releases the list of companies likely to issue earnings surprises. This week’s list includes Walgreen (WAG) and Xyratex (XRTX). To see more earnings analysis, visit http://at.zacks.com/?id=3207.

Every day, Zacks.com makes 4 stock picks available, free of charge. To see them, go to http://at.zacks.com/?id=5612.

This Week's Events

Five S&P 500 companies are confirmed to report: Constellation Brands (STZ), Darden Restaurants (DRI), Jabil Circuit (JBL), Nike (NKE) and Walgreen (WAG). A total of 27 companies are on the calendar.

We are still a week away from the "official" start of third-quarter earnings season. Alcoa (AA) will release its results on Oct 7. The majority of companies will not start reporting until the latter half of October, however.

The economic calendar is most active towards the second half of the week with

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Five S&P 500 companies are confirmed to report: Constellation Brands (STZ), Darden Restaurants (DRI), Jabil Circuit (JBL), Nike (NKE) and Walgreen (WAG). A total of 27 companies are on the calendar.

We are still a week away from the "official" start of third-quarter earnings season. Alcoa (AA) will release its results on Oct 7. The majority of companies will not start reporting until the latter half of October, however.

The economic calendar is most active towards the second half of the week with the release of the ISM manufacturing survey and the monthly employment surveys.

Tuesday: September Conference Board consumer confidence survey, July Case-Schiller home price index Wednesday: September Chicago PMI, September ADP employment survey, final Q2 GDP, weekly crude inventories, weekly mortgage applications Thursday: September ISM manufacturing survey, August personal income and spending, August pending home sales, September auto sales, September Monster employment index, September

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On Friday, my colleague and friend David Fessler provided you with four inflation hedges to consider. Without question, I agree with all of Dave’s recommendations. I just want to add one more inflation hedge to the mix. It’s an under-the-radar one that nobody’s talking about. But they should be. So let me tell you what it is - art investing. But let me stress why it’s imperative you spread the love around and consider investing in all five inflation hedges, not just one.

“Inflation is coming, inflation is coming.”

The world knows it. Even the guys at the switch - the Fed - can’t deny it.

Last week, Philadelphia Fed President Charles Plosser warned inflation could heat up much sooner than expected.

Here’s the problem. Everyone and their second cousin keep piling into the predictable hedge - investing in gold. The World Gold Council reports investment demand in the first

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Art Investing: The Inflation Hedge Nobody’s Talking About

by Louis Basenese, Advisory Panelist Senior Analyst, The Oxford Club

On Friday, my colleague and friend David Fessler provided you with four inflation hedges to consider.

Without question, I agree with all of Dave’s recommendations.

I just want to add one more inflation hedge to the mix. It’s an under-the-radar one that nobody’s talking about. But they should be.

So let me tell you what it is - art investing. But let me stress why it’s imperative you spread the love around and consider investing in all five inflation hedges, not just one.

“Inflation is coming, inflation is coming.”

The world knows it. Even the guys at the switch - the Fed - can’t deny it.

Last week, Philadelphia Fed President Charles Plosser warned inflation could heat up much sooner than expected.

Here’s the problem. Everyone and their second cousin keep piling into the

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A lot of people have seen this picture of the recent behavior of the monetary base and wondered what it means.

Figure 1. Adjusted monetary base. Source: FRED.

To understand the explosion in the monetary base since September, let's begin with a little background. The Federal Reserve has the ability to purchase assets or make loans with funds (money) that are created by the Fed itself. To buy a billion dollars worth of assets, the Fed doesn't show up with new cash in a wheelbarrow. Instead the Fed pays for any assets it purchases or loans it extends by crediting the funds that the recipient bank has in an account with the Fed, known as reserve deposits. A bank can later withdraw those deposits in the form of green currency, if it chooses, and that's the point

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