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Top Performer for Fri: Brigham Exploration (BEXP) – Zacks #1 Rank Top Performers

James Giaquinto — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Brigham Exploration Company (BEXP) announced results for one of its wells in the Bakken Shale today, prompting a 7% gain in its share price and securing a spot on the Zacks #1 Rank Top Performers List.

In addition to this company-specific news, BEXP is also getting a hand from an improving outlook for oil stocks as oil prices have finally broken out of its trading range.

Brigham Exploration is an independent exploration, development and production company that utilizes advanced exploration, drilling and completion technologies to systematically explore for, develop and produce domestic onshore oil and natural gas reserves.

It's 1 of 3 companies from the Oil-U.S. Exploration & Production industry on today's Zacks #1 Rank List, which includes 215 stocks in total. The other 2 names are Linn Energy, LLC (LINE) and Plains Exploration & Production Company (PXP).

Earnings estimates have been trending higher for BEXP. Furthermore, volume today is nearly 4 million shares, compared to the daily average of about 2.6 million.

Thanks Brad

Today, Brigham Exploration announced that its Brad Olson 9-16 #1H well produced an initial rate of about 2112 barrels of oil equivalent per day during an early 24-hour flow back period. The well is located in Williams County, North Dakota in its Rough Rider project area.

The company has about a 33% working interest in the well and a 26% net revenue interest.

BEXP is heavily invested in the Bakken Shale, located in North Dakota, Montana and Canada. The area could hold north of 3.5 billion barrels.

"The Brad Olson 9-16 #1H is yet another data point that confirms our belief that our Rough Rider area should be considered core acreage within the Williston Basin," said Chairman/President/CEO Bud Brigham.

"Assuming three Bakken laterals per section, we could potentially drill over 240 net wells in our core Rough Rider area," continued Mr. Brigham.

Earnings Estimates

The Zacks consensus Estimate for this year calls for a loss of 2 cents per share, which has narrowed by a penny in the past week and by 3 cents in the past 2 months.

Analysts expect a sharp return to profitability next year, as the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at a profit of 24 cents. That guidance has advanced 33.3% in 2 months and 14.3% in 30 days.

Second Quarter

For its second quarter, announced in early August, BEXP reported a loss per share of 5 cents, which was 2 cents narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate for a loss of 7 cents.

Zacks Investment Research

Donald Coxe – Investment Recommendations (September 2009)

Prieur du Plessis — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 06:52:53 +0000

"After the grandest recession /recovery stock market rally on record, this is hardly a good time to commit new money into equities," recommended Donald Coxe in the September edition of his popular Basic Points research report. Read on ...

Global Stocks Slide as Data Renews Recovery Doubts

Contrarian Profits — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:00:13 +0000

pWorld stocks slid on Wednesday after a mixed report on U.S. durable goods orders reignited doubts about economic recovery while oil prices fell on news of rising U.S. crude stockpiles./p pThe U.S. dollar gained, retracing the week#8217;s losses, as the durables goods report for July eroded risk appetite and prompted investors to seek shelter in the safe-haven greenback./p pOrders for long-lasting manufactured goods registered the biggest advance since July 2007, but excluding transportation goods, orders for durables were slightly below expectations./p pSlippage among global stocks that climbed to 10-month highs this week boosted money flows into less risky assets, such as European government bonds, which also gained from some modest month-end buying, traders said./p pEconomic data in Europe showed further signs of recovery, as#8230;/p

Oil Stocks Under Pressure…How to Play the Move

Contrarian Profits — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:30:42 +0000

p style="text-align: left;"Since the stock market bottomed out in March, the Nasdaq 100 index has led the way forward, with a 55% rally, with the Dow and S#38;P 500 not far behind./p p style="text-align: left;"As the standout index (based on a percentage retracement off the March lows), the Nasdaq 100 is the most important one to focus on here. The weekly chart below reveals that it’s clawed back around 50% of its losses since late 2007./p p style="text-align: center;"a href="http://www.smartprofitsreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/ndx1000803091.png"/a/p p style="text-align: left;"strongCorrection Coming/strong/p p style="text-align: left;"The late 2007 sell-off and subsequent rally looks like a classic 5-wave a href="http://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/elliottwavetheory.asp"Elliott Wave Theory/a move, with the current rally perhaps being the fourth wave of a 5-wave downside move./p p style="text-align: left;"If that’s the case, the Nasdaq 100 shouldn’t close much above the trendline before the fifth wave to the downside begins.#8230;/p

Why the BPENER Indicator Is Screaming ‘Buy Oil’ Right Now

Contrarian Profits — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:05:03 +0000

p“Super trader” Jeff Clark says oil stocks are oversold right now. Writing in today’s emGrowth Stock Wire, /emJeff says the bullish percent indicator for the oil sector, BPENER (below), is flashing a buy signal for oil stocks./p pThis from Jeff:/p blockquote ulBPENER is a momentum-based indicator that generates buy and sell signals based on oversold and overbought conditions. The oil sector is overbought when BPENER rallies above 70 and then turns lower. The four most recent sell signals are marked with red circles. Each signal was profitable for anyone taking a short position on the oil sector.The oil sector is oversold whenever BPENER drops below 20. It generates a buy signal (the blue circles) when it turns higher from oversold levels. The last time#8230;/ul/blockquote

Shell Shuts in Some Production in Western Niger Delta

Contrarian Profits — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:00:21 +0000

pOil rose to $70 a barrel on Monday after Nigeria#8217;s main militant group said it attacked a Royal Dutch Shell oil platform, outweighing a fairly bearish report from the International Energy Agency (IEA)./p pThe Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said its fighters struck the Shell Forcados platform in the Delta state at about 0230 GMT./p pThere was no immediate independent confirmation but Shell said it shut in some oil production at its western operations in the Delta while it investigated reports of attacks./p pU.S. crude for August delivery rose to a high of $70.06 per barrel, up 90 cents, before slipping back slightly to $69.75 by 1230 GMT./p pLondon Brent crude was up 60 cents at $69.52./p p#8220;The Nigerian supply disruptions brought in some#8230;/p

Stock Market News for June 16, 2009 – Market News

Zacks Market Commentaries — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:23:58 +0000

Asian markets extended losses Tuesday as commodities took a beating and worried investors looked for fresh signs of an economic recovery. Japan's Nikkei 225 stock average declined 2.9%, its worst one-day percentage loss in more than two months, even as Bank of Japan noted that "Japan's economic conditions, after deteriorating significantly, have begun to stop worsening." The bank left its overnight lending rate unchanged at 0.1%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 1.8% and South Korea's Kospi fell 1%. China's Shanghai Composite Index however outperformed regional markets and declined 0.5%.

Dollar prices were under pressure after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, speaking at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, said the world needs new reserve currencies. Wall Street futures point to a flat opening.

On Monday, US stocks registered their worst slide in a month with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which ended last week in a positive territory for 2009, went back in the red for the year. Among S&P 500 stocks, 95% registered losses. Commodities and basic material stocks declined, hurt by a rise in US dollar. The morning session saw most of the declines and stocks traded sideways as the session advanced. The NASDAQ, off 2.3%, and the S&P 500, down 2.4%, recorded their steepest declines since May 13. Volume on the NYSE was light with only 1.1 billion shares trading. Market breadth was negative with decliners outpacing advancing issues by a five-to-one margin. The market's measure of volatility, the CBOE Vix, jumped the most since April 20, rising 9.5% to 30.81.

The National Association of Home Builders reported that confidence among U.S. home builders fell after rising for two months. A prime concern was the rise in mortgage rates that followed a recent selloff in U.S. Treasurys. Meanwhile, US Treasuries moved higher for the third straight day, with the benchmark 10-year up 20/32 and the yield declining to 3.715%, falling back from their seven-month highs of last week.

A rising dollar reduced the luster of basic material and oil stocks as inflation hedges. Positive comments at the G8 summit regarding the greenback's status as world's reserve currency helped the dollar, which rose 1.2% against a basket of currencies. Copper prices declined 3.7% in New York trade and silver lost 5.7%. Among DJIA components, only Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and American Express (NYSE:AXP) recorded gains. Alcoa (NYSE:AA) led the decliners on the DJIA, dropping 6.5%. Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX) fell 5.8% and US Steel (NYSE:X) shares declined 5.7%. Among energy stocks, ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) fell 1.3%, and Chevron (NYSE:CVX) declined 2.2%, with Schlumberger (NYSE:SLB) shares down 2.8%. Among S&P 500 components, only 22 advanced with all ten industry groups losing ground.

The expected decline in industrial production of 1.0%, up from the drop of 0.5% prior, is largely attributed to the GM (NASDAQ:GMGMQ) and Chrysler bankruptcies. Capacity utilization rates are expected to have tightened to 68.4% from 69.1% prior, the lowest in 42 years since record-keeping began.

In overseas developments, ECB warned Eurozone banks on potential additional losses of over $283 billion this year and next. In a report, the International Monetary Fund said exiting the fiscal stimulus programs will be challenging for the US. The IMF Chief cautioned that the worst of the recession has yet to be felt.

Zacks Investment Research

OIL INVENTORY REPORT: ANALYSTS WAY OFF AGAIN WITH ANOTHER BULLISH REPORT

David Blair — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:49:07 +0000

Just waiting for the next move: will the oil stocks catch up with the USO or will we continue to have consolidation? Who knows?

Post from: The CrossHairs Trader

OIL INVENTORY REPORT: ANALYSTS WAY OFF AGAIN WITH ANOTHER BULLISH REPORT

When Will The Oil ETF Catch-Up To Rising Oil Prices?

ETF Daily News — Fri, 29 May 2009 21:02:10 +0000

Hat tip to AbnormalReturns.com for highlighting a post by the Bespoke Investment Group about rising oil prices yet oil stocks lagging behind, the question is when will oil stocks catch-up to oil prices? If there’s one take away, its the ProShares Ultra Oil & Gas (ETF) (NYSE:DIG). First up, the Bespoke Investment Group on Oil Continues [...]

Market Vectors Coal ETF (KOL) Red Hot

ETF Daily News — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:08:29 +0000

Coal was one of our best performing sector groups in latter 2007 through summer 2008. While much of the focus of late has been on natural gas, the coal stocks have been ripping in even larger magnitude. I was a bull on coal over natural gas (although the market in its student body left trading [...]

Oil Off Sharply

Doug Casey — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:00:41 +0000

p class="maintextDRP"In the energy market on Friday, crude for June delivery fell back, closing at $56.34/barrel, down $2.28. June reformulated gasoline dropped 4.31 cents, to $1.6806/gallon. /p p class="maintextDRP"Friday’s result left crude down by 3.9% on the week, following a 10% rally the week before./p pAfter reports that OPEC ratcheted up oil production in April, the first month in eight in which the cartel has increased output, a href="http://www.google.com/finance?q=OTC%3ACRZBY"Commerzbank /aanalysts commented that, “Rising oil prices increase the incentive to expand production at the expense of other oil producers, in order to benefit from higher oil prices.”/p p“A weaker demand and higher OPEC supply may explain why oil stocks have been rising until recently,” the bank’s analysts added. “This also confirms our conviction that the oil price#8230;/p

Has the Market Turned a Corner?

Michael E. Brisky — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:20:00 +0000

Right now, it appears so. The economy is still fairly weak, but as usual the market is forward looking. Strong news this morning from Wells Fargo, saying profits will be much higher than expected. Although this crisis has weakened many financial institutions, some will come out stronger, and Wells Fargo appears to be one of those. They were able to buy Wachovia at depressed levels and this will likely turn out well for them. Banks with adequate capital are likely finding ways to make money. br /br /I'm still not a buyer of financial stocks myself. Many are so diluted at this point, and their is still a lot of risk in these names. I continue to like the strength in tech. I think oil stocks will rebound as well.br /br /Interesting action out of Mosaic yesterday. I posted early in the morning about earnings and what it meant. The stock climbed all day and finished quite higher. Once the market turns the corner, all news becomes good news. We appear to be getting there. Mosaic also appears to have a floor under it due to the constant rumor of Cargill buying the rest of the company (they already own a large percentage), and investors like this kind of insurance in a stock.br /br /Looks like a great day! Its always a great day when the Masters is on!br /br /Long MOS.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='http://res1.blogblog.com/tracker/819581243324579563-908926476842785844?l=briskycapital.blogspot.com'//div

The Investment U Conference Wrap-Up: “Don’t Miss Your Million Dollar Opportunity”

Investment U — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:38:43 +0000

The Investment U Conference Wrap-Up: “Don’t Miss Your Million Dollar Opportunity” by Dr. Scott Brown, Education Director It was quite a week at the Investment U Conference in sunny St. Petersburg. It’s been a few days and I’m still a little exhausted at the sheer amount of information covered. Over the past week we’ve discussed gold, emerging markets and [...]

Oil Hits a Four-month High

Contrarian Profits — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:10:56 +0000

pOil rose to the highest level in about four months above $54 a barrel on Thursday as expectations that economic stimulus packages might be working to offset the impact of high oil inventories. /p p U.S. light crude hit $54.66 a barrel, its highest price since Nov. 28, before easing to $53.60 by 1708 GMT. But it was still up by 87 cents, recovering from a decline of more than a dollar on Wednesday. /p p London Brent crude rose $1.18 to $52.93. /p p Oil derived some support from a rally in Asian shares, which rose to their highest in 11 weeks following upbeat U.S. economic data on Wednesday, although European shares fared lower.br / /p p Oil prices responded little to a set of gloomy U.S. government data,#8230;/p

A stock offering safe dividends AND speculative upside

Daniel Hung — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:18:00 +0000

Sounds like an oxymoron, safe dividends and speculative upside. How could that be possible? Oil has fallen over 70% over the last year due to declining projections of future oil demand. While I have argued that long oil exposure is a prudent and wise move for any portfolio, there’s no better time than today to be [...]

Bald Eagle Energy Inc. (BEEI.OB) Shows How Oil Can Act Like Gold

QualityStocks — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:36:21 +0000

Oil exploration company Bald Eagle Energy, Inc. recently showed how a little oil stock can, like gold, do remarkable things. Even though the sluggish economy has brought oil prices down to earlier levels, oil stocks can also be viewed as having a counter-cyclical element. From 2/19 to 2/24, the Dow Jones Industrial Average made another [...]

Taste of the Juice

QualityStocks — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:56:12 +0000

Over the past ten years, oil prices have captivated the attention of nearly every American. This is not surprising as the price for a barrel of oil has risen from less than $15 to more than $150 in just the past decade, generating massive profits for oil and gas companies, as well as those who [...]

Depressed Oil Prices Approaching Speculation of a Lifetime

Eric Roseman — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:15:54 +0000

pFrom its high of $147 a barrel last July, West Texas Intermediate Crude oil prices have crashed a cumulative 74%. That ranks as one of the worst absolute declines for any asset since the onset of deflation last July as investors dump most commodities, except gold, silver and several other soft commodities. /p pOil prices now trade at a five-year low./p pIf oil prices overshot on the way up to US$147, then the opposite is certainly true today with prices at US$36 a barrel. At some point, crude oil will bottom; the odds of a spectacular bounce occurring is highly likely as global governments spend trillions of dollars at the same time to desperately boost economic growth in 2009-2010./p pChina, which is the#8230;/p

Donald Coxe – Have commodities started to outperform?

Prieur du Plessis — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:36:11 +0000

This post features a transcript of the latest webcast by Donald Coxe. He has recently resumed his weekly audio commentaries and the link to this is also provided. Please visit my website (by clicking on the heading above) for the full article, as well...

The Gone Fishin’ Portfolio: The Right Way to Invest

Investment U — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:56:19 +0000

The Gone Fishin’ Portfolio: The Right Way to Invest by Alexander Green, Chairman, Investment U Oxford Club Investment Director Thursday, January 22, 2009: Issue #920 At our Oxford Club Chapter Meeting in Managua last week, I offered members a few suggestions on how they can improve their returns with our recommendations. The first suggestion was not to cherry-pick one or [...]

Bearish Short-Term Outlook For Oil Stocks – Zacks Industry Rank Analysis

Charles Rotblut — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Highlighted stocks include: Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (APC), BJ Services Company (BJS), Dril-Quip, Inc. (DRQ), Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) and Precision Drilling Trust (PDS)

OPEC Cutting Production

At today's meeting, OPEC ministers agreed to a production cut of 2.2 billion barrels per day, which equates to a 4.2 million per day reduction from September levels. In addition, Russia, Syria and other non-member countries are also likely to lower production levels.

The moves are in response to the $100+ drop in oil that has occurred since Jul 11. The global economic slump, and forecasts for reduced consumption next year, has oil producers concerned about a loss of revenues.

Though OPEC members have a long history of violating quotas, production levels should drop after the meeting. The commodities markets, however, are unimpressed as crude was trading at just $43 per barrel this morning.

The Impact on Oil Stocks

For investors, today's meeting won't have any meaningful short-term impact. The "magic" number for many companies is believed to be about $65 per barrel. Oil prices below this level discourage capital investment and production. Prices above this level encourage more activity.

Not a line in the sand, per se, but a good benchmark for gauging what the industry is going to do.

The other issue is the credit markets. Even for companies with strong cash positions, access to debt financing remains difficult and expensive. This also discourages investment.

It is this combination of low oil prices and a lack of financing that has led brokerage analysts to continue lowering 2009 profit forecasts on a large number of oil-related stocks. The downward revisions span most of the energy sector including exploration and production company Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (APC), services provider BJ Services Company (BJS), equipment maker Dril-Quip, Inc. (DRQ) and driller Precision Drilling Trust (PDS).

Even conglomerates like Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) are seeing their consensus earnings estimates lowered.

BJS and PDS are Zacks #5 Rank ("strong sell") stocks. APC. DRQ and XOM are Zacks #4 Rank ("sell") stocks.

Crude Will Rebound

Crude prices will not stay at current levels, though the timing of the rebound is uncertain. It will be soon enough, however, to make recent buyers of new SUV question their purchases. Bluntly put, enjoy the cheap gasoline prices while you can.

Long-term investors should not be in a rush to buy oil stocks, though long-term valuations are cheap. Therefore, it makes sense to continue eyeing the sector, even if the short-term outlook is not positive.

An alternative method is to look at pipeline partnerships. Our senior oil analyst, Sheraz Mian, discussed these in a recent blog post. Among the stocks he likes are Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (EPD), NuStar Energy L.P. (NS), Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (ETP) and Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (KMP).

Though opportunities for short-term capital appreciation might be small, all of these partnerships yield attractive dividends.

Industry Groups

Because the weakness in crude prices affects the entire sector, I covered multiple industry groups this week. The specific groups are:

Oil & Gas-Drilling - Precision Drilling Trust
Oil Field Machinery & Equipment - Dril-Quip
Oil-Field Services - BJ Services
Oil-International Integrated - Exxon Mobil
Oil-Production/Pipeline - Enterprise Products Partners, Energy Transfer, Kinder Morgan and NuStar.
Oil-U.S. Exploration and Production - Anadarko Petroleum

Related ETFs

There are several ETFs that target the oil sector, though most specialize in certain segments such as drilling or oil field services. The fund providing the most broad coverage might be Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE).

Zacks Premium and Zacks Elite subscribers can view the Zacks Industry Rank List at http://www.zacks.com/zrank/zrank_inds.php. This interactive list allows you to see all of the companies, and their Zacks Rank, within more than 200 industries. Shown below is the Zacks Sector Rank List, which shows the trend in estimate revisions on a broader scale.

Sector Rank as of Dec 17
Sector	This Week's Zacks Rank	Last Week's Zacks Rank	FY09 Revisions Ratio	FY09 Estimates Revised Up	FY09 Estimates Revised Down	FY08 Revisions Ratio
Medical	2.55	2.55	0.45	134	300	0.45
Aerospace	2.76	2.83	0.36	16	44	0.42
Computer and Technology	2.89	2.92	0.12	111	913	0.21
Business Services	2.94	2.94	0.14	11	76	0.31
Consumer Discretionary	2.98	3.01	0.24	54	221	0.31
Transportation	3.03	2.97	0.19	52	274	0.29
Utilities	3.05	3.04	0.22	29	132	0.55
Consumer Staples	3.08	3.10	0.14	27	198	0.27
Retail-Wholesale	3.11	3.17	0.09	52	568	0.22
Construction	3.16	3.12	0.15	9	61	0.15
Finance	3.18	3.19	0.09	82	867	0.17
Industrial Products	3.23	3.18	0.09	19	202	0.14
Oils-Energy	3.26	3.28	0.11	78	733	0.25
Basic Materials	3.34	3.27	0.06	18	302	0.10
Auto-Tires-Trucks	3.53	3.55	0.03	2	72	0.11
Conglomerates	3.63	3.67	0.00	0	73	0.03

Charles Rotblut, CFA, is the senior market analyst for Zacks.com. He can be reached at crotblut@zacks.com.

"EPD" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?
"ETP" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?
"BJS" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?
"APC" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?
"KMP" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?
"XOM" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?
"NS" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?
"XLE" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?
"DRQ" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?
"PDS" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?
Zacks Investment Research

The Faux Bottom, Housing Worsens, Newspapers in Trouble, An Oversold Sector, and More!

Contrarian Profits — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:43:43 +0000

pur “Obama Rally” forecast… will things “get worse before they get better” or vice versa?#8230; Print in the doghouse… Tribune Co., New York Times and McClatchy looking desperate#8230; Still no bottom in sight for housing… foreclosure, refi and pending home sales data all down#8230; Anecdotal evidence of tough times to come… Wiggin house, office burglarized#8230; a href="http://www.contrarianprofits.com/articles/author/chris-mayer/" class="alinks_links"Chris Mayer/a with a sector sell-off that’s gone too farbr / strongEnjoy the rally… for now./strong “Things are going to get worse before they get better,” the president-elect’s been saying all week. We suspect he’s right. But the Obama Rally is likely to have some legs first./p p class="BodyCopy" align="left"The Dow surged 3.5% yesterday after an equally notable gain Friday. Just about every stock got a boost, but materials, energy and infrastructure#8230;/p

Oil Ready for Short Term Rally

Michael E. Brisky — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:33:00 +0000

Oil prices, and oil stocks, are ready for a short-term rally here. OPEC is scrambling to deal with the major slowdown in global demand. a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122858288078585557.html"Most likely they will decrease production output to help prices recover/a. Remember in July when President Bush went to Saudi Arabia begging for production increases? What a difference a couple of months can make. br /br /The pattern I see here is: br /br /A) Right now-oil stocks oversold with oil prices around $40.br /B) OPEC cuts production. Oil moves to somewhere between $50-75/barrel. Oil stocks rally.br /C) Rally wears off, sometime early 2009. Stocks fall again as recession-caused demand destruction continues. Oil stocks back to current levels.br /br /By the way, this is also the pattern for financial stocks, and homebuilders, and automakers. We're seeing a potentially trade-able pattern, but a pattern of lower highs and lower lows.br /br /For the trade, take a look at the usual suspects:br /br /National Oilwell Varco (a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=NOV"NOV/a)br /Schlumberger (a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=slb"SLB/a)br /Exxon Mobil (a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=xom"XOM/a)br /Noble (a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=ne"NE/a)br /Transocean (a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=rig"RIG/a)

Investing Legend Jim Rogers says: Buy Gold, Cotton, and Sugar

Alex Stanczyk — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:17:19 +0000

By Senior Writer Eoin Gleeson Nov 19, 2008 Eoin Gleeson Jim Rogers Rogers: buy commodities and China If there’s one man who hasn’t been swept off his feet by the prospect of Barack Obama in the White House, it’s Jim Rogers. “Barack Obama has two policies to speak of,” he told attendants at the World Money Show in Westminster. [...]

Oil Stocks May Never Be This Cheap Again

Contrarian Profits — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:32:38 +0000

Oil is still one of the best bets for long-term gains says Greg Guenthner. In the midst of blind market panic, investors are forgetting that crude is a finite resource facing unquenchable demand. It will rise to record highs again. And when it does, oil stocks will soar.

This from The Rude Awakening:

During times like these, itâ€™s all too easy to become caught up in the moment. Fear is a powerful emotion. As the markets continue to crumble, many investors lose sight of their goals. They sell positions indiscriminately; they become irrational.

The sell-off weâ€™re experiencing right now is global. And no stock or commodity has escaped the devastation. Thatâ€™s why weâ€™re looking at a scarce and valuable resource for steady long-term…

Oil Stocks May Never Be This Cheap Again

Contrarian Profits — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:32:38 +0000

This from The Rude Awakening:

During times like these, itâ€™s all too easy to become caught up in the moment. Fear is a powerful emotion. As the markets continue to crumble, many investors lose sight of their goals. They sell positions indiscriminately; they become irrational.

The sell-off weâ€™re experiencing right now is global. And no stock or commodity has escaped the devastation. Thatâ€™s why weâ€™re looking at a scarce and valuable resource for steady long-term…

American Optimism, Russia’s In Trouble, But Good News For Oil, Breakthrough Med Tech, And More!

Contrarian Profits — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:43:33 +0000

American optimism at all-time low, 2009 recession imminent… Fannie and Freddie to the rescue? Chris Mayer with good news for oil investors. Another day, another double-digit decline… Russian market, currency plummeting. Pat Cox with a “huge” breakthrough medical tech about to become reality. Have we hit a nerve? The automaker debate rages on in The 5’s inbox

Oy. “The $700 billion financial bailout program,” the New York Times sums up Treasury Secretary Paulson’s speech this morning, “will not be used to buy troubled mortgage-backed assets, as originally intended. Instead, capital would be provided directly to nonbank companies, as well as banks and financial institutions, and that more would be done to prevent home foreclosures.”

Is it any wonder 83% of Americans think the U.S.…

American Optimism, Russia’s In Trouble, But Good News For Oil, Breakthrough Med Tech, And More!

Contrarian Profits — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:43:33 +0000

Is it any wonder 83% of Americans think the U.S.…

Oil Fundamentals Still in Solid Shape – Zacks Analyst Interviews

Zacks Market Commentaries — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Following yesterday's discussion about the coal industry, where stock pullbacks seemed more or less undeserved, today we look at the oil and gas sector with Zacks senior analyst Sheraz Mian. With the price of a barrel of oil pulling back drastically, does this warrant the significantly lower oil prices?

With oil prices headed to roughly half what they were just a few months ago, how has this affected oil companies under your coverage?

The current market turmoil has been particularly brutal in the oil space, with all sub-sectors getting down to levels not seen in years. While expectations of softening oil demand over the coming quarters and broad credit-market concerns have been the primary reasons for the sector's woes, the sell off has by all measures been over-done.

This indiscriminate sell-off has made the risk-reward trade off of a number of sub sectors very compelling, in our view. Our best ideas are in the integrated, oilfield service, and offshore drilling sub-sectors.

Where do you see oil prices heading in the near term?

While downside risks still remain, particularly if the global economic weakness turns out to be more protracted than currently anticipated, oil prices are expected to consolidate around current levels. We expect crude oil prices to bottom around $70 a barrel.

We are strong believers in the secular underpinnings of the oil cycle Â– the current downturn is just a pause in a long secular cycle that still has plenty of room to go.

In which areas would you advise investors to look for oil stocks?

The large-cap integrateds Â– Exxon (XOM), Chevron (CVX) -- remain the best positioned given their energy conglomerate business structures, stellar balance sheets, substantial free cash flows, and growing dividends.

The underlying business fundamentals of integrated oilfield service companies such as Halliburton (HAL) and Baker Hughes (BHI), as well as deepwater-capable drilling contractors like Transocean (RIG) and Diamond Offshore (DO) still remain robust. Oil prices will need to drop even further and then stay there to materially impact their operating outlook.

Are there any caveats we should be aware of?

Growing domestic production and moderating demand, particularly from industrial consumers, is expected to weigh on natural gas prices for the remainder of this year and next.

The tentative natural gas price outlook, which preceded the credit-market related turmoil of the past month, is expected to cap the upside in the exploration and production (E&P) space. This group also has credit market exposure.

This outlook reflects credit markets getting back to normal over the coming days, a three/four quarter period of negative economic growth in the OECD markets, and decelerated growth in the emerging world. An outcome worse than this outlook represents a clear downside risk.

Sheraz Mian is a senior analyst covering the oil & gas industry for Zacks Equity Research.
"J" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?
"BKO" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?
"HAL" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?
"SD" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?
"DO" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?
"RIG" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?
Zacks Investment Research

A ‘Once Only’ Chance to Bag Major Oil Profits

Contrarian Profits — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:32:38 +0000

Oil was given a lift yesterday. But at $81.19 a barrel, the black goo is still almost $70 from its July peak.

Greg Guenthner isn't sweating it.

Oil prices have been caught up in widespread panic selling of recent months. It remains a scarce and essential commodity. This means it is only heading in one direction over the long term.

Greg recommends following oil guru Richard Rainwater's cue and buying into oil stocks with both hands.

This from Penny Sleuth:

When the markets go to hell, it’s all too easy to become caught up in the moment. Fear is a powerful emotion. We all witnessed this firsthand as the market’s decline accelerated. As the markets continue to crumble, many investors lose sight of their goals. They sell positions indiscriminately; they become irrational.

The sell-off we’re experiencing right now is global. And aside from some safe-haven gold buying, no stock or commodity has avoided the bears. That’s why we’re looking at a scarce and valuable resource for steady long-term gains: oil.

One energy guru has recently made a big bet on oil.

He bought back shares of Exxon (NYSE:XOM), ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP), Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE:PXD), BP (NYSE:BP) and Statoil (NYSE:STO) — all at rock-bottom prices. We say he bought these shares back because, in a prescient move, this sage sold off every oil stock he owned in May…back when oil was sitting atop $129 per barrel.

A Fresh Oil Investment

Richard Rainwater knew he would be a bit early to the party — and probably miss the top — when he sold his oil investments back in spring. But with a stellar track record including massive gains betting on everything from hospitals to cell phones, he knew gains from his $300 million invested in oil stocks and futures were in jeopardy.

“I just felt that America was not ready for $4 gas and we would see a pause here,” he told Time magazine in June.

Rainwater pulled his billions in profits just before oil’s peak in July. Now, he’s ready to do it all over again, spreading his millions across Exxon, ConocoPhillips and other big-name petroleum pushers.

***********************************

Oil at $150 per barrel and gasoline at $8 a gallon or more…

The oil is running out. It’s as simple as that.

But that’s not what you hear from so-called experts. If you ask government officials, our intelligence agencies and even powerful Wall Street financiers, they tell you the opposite.

They say the Saudis could quickly double their oil production from the current level if they wanted to. And given a few years, they think the Saudis could produce four times as much oil as they do now.

They are dead wrong. Check it out here…

***********************************

Overwhelming Demand Will Prop Oil Prices

Rainwater’s outlook is simple: Increased worldwide demand will continue to push the oil price up in the long term. Rainwater’s not alone, either. Analysts and industry experts — like oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens and OPEC President Chakib Khelil — have been making it perfectly clear…oil’s on the rise again.

On July 11, 2008, oil made a record ascent to $147.27 — a 123% jump in only 12 months. With oil sitting around $80 right now, oil aficionados like Pickens are bracing for the run-up to come. “The Saudis claim they have more oil; they don’t. The president wasted his time to go to Saudi Arabia, to say, 'Give us more oil.' They can't give any more oil...they're stacking up the money as fast as they can stack it up," warned Pickens in an interview with CNBC.

The allure of oil is hard to refute.

With finite supplies and unquenchable demand, it’s clear why many investment houses put oil above $200 in the near future.

According to Pickens, it’s just a case of an oil-hungry economy overwhelming producers: “Eighty-five million barrels of oil a day is all the world can produce, and the demand is 87 million. It's just that simple. It doesn't have anything to do with the value of the dollar.”

Now is the time to buy oil. The third quarter of 2008 saw the largest drop in oil prices in 17 years.

Now with OPEC slashing its production outlook for the rest of 2008 and 2009, it’s unclear just how long prices will be able to stay under $100.

Source: Prevailing in the Midst of Paranoia

Ag Is Dead?

Roger Nusbaum — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:17:00 +0000

So says the MarketBeat blog.

The post lists all sorts of related companies noting how much they are down and throws in a comparison to Microsoft and the tech bubble.

The ag companies have earnings, there is clear and obvious demand for their product as part of the resource theme and the global ascendancy theme as opposed to internet stocks which were valued based on eyeballs.

So clearly ag is different!

Hang with me here, I'm not going where you think I am.

I do think ag is different but that may not be right. The fundamental case for ag in terms of the world needing their stuff seems different but that may not be right. The ag companies make a lot of money and trade at valuations that can be measured but that may not matter.

Ag is either different or it isn't. If you have a 2-3% weighting you don't have to be right about it being different. It would be better if you could be right but you don't have to be. If you have 10-15% or more in ag well it does matter whether you are right or not.

I have had Monsanto for a long time, bought on the way up in the high $80's, sold some in the $120's and still have the stock down here, a few points under water. The way things have worked out it is maybe 1% of the portfolio.

There is no convincing me that the name will not be a moon shot. I like the name so much I would have it over to Thanksgiving dinner (trying to inject some humor). If I am wrong and the name goes to zero that will be bad but not ruinous. I preach on and on about moderation in themes like these for this very reason.

If you follow the logic of the MarketBeat post then we can conclude that there are people who made the same mistakes with ag as with tech from way back when.

All ag stocks are down a lot. All mining stocks are down a lot. All emerging market stocks are down a lot. All oil stocks are down a lot. All industrial stocks are down a lot. All financials stocks are down a lot. Owning some of these is not a problem. Owning too many could be. This might sound subtle but in terms of portfolio impact it could be quite meaningful.

BTW I am not suggesting anyone buy Monsanto. It is just an example, I assume you have stocks that you would like to have over for Thanksgiving dinner.

Volatile Commodity Prices Are Creating Short-Term Profit Plays

Andrew Snyder — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:06:50 +0000

These are turbulent times for commodity traders. After Monday's record surge, crude oil prices are edging back towards the $100-a-barrel mark again. Andrew Snyder says these wild gyrations provide great short-term profit opportunities for fast-moving investors. This mainly applies to small-cap stocks. Andrew says the market gloom has created bargains across all sectors for those who do their homework...

This from Today's Financial News:

Oil stocks like Exxon (NYSE:XOM) and Chevron (NYSE:CVX) have been all over the place lately. Is the commodity boom finally over?

If you are an energy-industry investor, it is a good bet that you have quite a headache. With a free market getting artificial influence from nearly every direction, it is no wonder oil prices have been all over the place.

So what does this whipsaw action mean for investors? Well, for fast-acting investors it could lead to big profits. Pay attention to the news and invest accordingly.

Unfortunately, the big gains that were once possible from sudden crude price movements are much harder to find. Shares in big-name companies like Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) and Chevron (NYSE:CVX) tend to move in much slower, more calculated fashion these days.

Your best bet is to do your homework and search out the smaller companies that are impacted by oil-industry news. Or even better, stray away from the oil industry and concentrate on the countless other companies trading at unbelievably low prices thanks to the recent market shakedown.

There are all sorts of fantastic buying opportunities out there that will not give you headaches from their wild, unpredictable gyrations. The oil and energy sectors are just one area to find big profits. Do not forget about the rest of the market.

Source: Crude prices slip: Commodity investors turn and run

Early Indicators: ‘A Long and Painful Recession’

Contrarian Profits — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:35:16 +0000

-- There really must be a financial crisis. John "the fundamentals of our economy are strong" McCain has suspended his presidential campaign to to return to Washington to work on the proposed $700 billion bailout bill of financial institutions before Congress.

-- Meanwhile, McCain's fellow Republican George W. Bush made a televised appeal for the swift passage the plan. He said the "entire economy is in danger" and warned of a "financial panic" and "a long and painful recession" if Congress didn't pass the bill soon.

-- "Most illiquid assets are illiquid because they're not worth anything," said Ron Paul to Fed head Ben Bernanke during testimony in Washington, DC, yesterday. Presumably, this holds true even if the "entire economy is in danger."

-- US stock futures are limp this morning following Bush's address and news that General Electric (NYSE:GE) cut its earnings estimates and halted its stock buyback. "S&P 500 futures rose 3 points to 1,196.00 and Nasdaq 100 futures added 12.25 points to 1,684.25. Dow industrial futures rose 9 points," according to Market Watch.

-- Bush's dire warnings on the state of the economy he has been in charge of for the last eight years didn't exactly help the dollar either. The buck "fell to $1.4686 per euro as of 6:35 a.m. in New York, from $1.4621 yesterday," according to Bloomberg. "The currency declined to 105.91 yen from 106.11. The euro was at 155.57 yen from 155.15. The U.S. currency dropped to $1.8553 against the pound from $1.8465, and to 1.0836 versus the franc from 1.0916."

-- Yesterday on Contrarian Profits, Rude Awakening editor Eric Fry urged investors to "Sell the dollar, sell the dollar, sell the dollar." (We think he was being pretty clear on this one.)

The Treasury and the Federal hope that these actions will restore buoyancy to the potential markets. But we doubt it. Instead, we suspect that these actions will only add buoyancy to the US inflation rate and, therefore, to commodity prices.

Most of the bad guys who created this mess are gone…although not yet in prison where they belong. And most of the American regulatory agencies are eager to change the rules of the game. These two developments are very helpful. But the process of repairing and reforming the American financial system could be painful. The U.S. Treasury will absolutely, positively increase the money supply to rescue the financial system…Which means investors must try to protect themselves against an almost certain inflation.

So what’s an investor to do?

Sell American stocks, bonds and currencies; buy foreign stocks, bonds and currencies. And, of course, buy commodities.

-- Crude oil is down near its three-day low in New York on a report that revealed demand is at its lowest in almost five years. According to Bloomberg, "crude oil for November delivery was at $105.77 a barrel, up 4 cents, in after-hours electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange at 12:45 p.m. Singapore time."

-- Eric Roseman in The Sovereign Society is buying oil stocks, nevertheless. He believes "hard assets" like oil and gold are the best assets to own if you believe that inflation remains embedded in the financial system...

Inflation is not dead and commodities remain in a secular bull market as China and other rapidly growing economies continue to boost domestic consumption and increase trade.

The credit crisis is a Western problem, not an Asian one. Balance sheets across Asia are not restricted by sub-prime losses or other mortgage-related write-downs. So the sooner the U.S. finally tackles the credit crisis, the sooner Asian growth will reaccelerate. That’s when I expect commodities to bottom.

The long-term picture remains bullish for these markets and commodities. Over the next 12 months, I see the greatest reflation trade of the century hitting the markets, courtesy of the United States government and the European Union.

Global Margin Call Pushing Oil Prices Lower …

Sean Brodrick — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 07:30:00 +0000

The commodity correction continues. And it's getting more painful by the minute as big trading houses like Lehman and Merrill Lynch go belly up or are forced into mergers. I think we're ...

Charts on Current Hedge Positions

Sean Brodrick — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:46:28 +0000

My Red-Hot Canadian Small-Caps and Red-Hot Global Small-Caps are long commodities with a long-term outlook. But in the short-term you can't argue with the fact that commodities are headed lower. So, I recently added hedges -- positions that are short commodity stocks -- to these portfolios. Let's check on how three of them are doing ...

HGD is short TSX gold stocks. It went ballistic today. The good news is that the 50-day moving average is crossing above the 200-day moving average. This is usually seen as a technically bullish indicator. The bad news is the big move up is coming on declining volume, so it can't be trusted.
This is a good ETF to be in while we wait for Canadian gold stocks to bottom. The reversal, when it comes, could come quickly, so stay alert.
Next ...

The DZZ, or double-short gold fund, was recommended as an alternative in RCS for people who couldn't buy the HGD, and was also a primary hedge position recommended in Red-Hot Global Small Caps. It is gapping higher, and it sure looks like it is breaking out of an inverse head-and-shoulders position. If true, this would indicate much lower prices on gold (I'd expect $750 an ounce or lower). Remember, that's a short-term target on gold -- longer-term, gold should go much higher. But the short-term swoon could be very profitable for DZZ.

Next, let's look at one of the positions in my Red-Hot Commodity ETF portfolio. This is a short-term portfolio, so it's currently all short (for now).

The ProShares UltraShort Oil & Gas ETF (DUG) goes up as oil stocks go down. It rocketed higher on big volume today. Also, if this this continues we'll see the 50-day moving average cross above the 200-day moving average, another encouraging sign.

As I've been saying for awhile now, I fully expect oil to test $100. And recent bearishness shows that it could go lower than that for a bit. That lays out a higher path for DUG.

The Trend Was My Friend (Down). Was It Yours?

Joshua Hayes — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 07:42:43 +0000

I am hoping that a lot of people have realized that the bull market we have had from 2003-to the last day in October was “the bull market.” The facts remain that we are in a downtrend with an overall sideways bias that has made it very hard to make money since January. But now [...]

Oil stocks and everything else, brace yourself for Hurricane Gustav

Stockmasters Staff — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 04:58:43 +0000

Gustav gathered force and slammed into Cuba as a Category 4 hurricane Saturday, giving oil bears and stock market bulls cause for concern. Monday's trading should be out-of-control.

Reader Question 1

Roger Nusbaum — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:10:00 +0000

Several great questions came in over the weekend. I'll tackle one the first one today.

First up, a reader asked a follow up about shipping stocks (mentioned in passing in this past weekend's video). I mentioned in the video that one of the names in this group, Dry Ships (DRYS) as being nuclear hot. I made a joke about seeing the name in the $60's a few months back and ten minutes later it was trading at par ($100).

The reader stumbled across Frontline (FRO) and asked for my take on what to make of the 18% yield. He wonders if buying the name would be considered chasing yield. That he is asking the question means he realizes a crucial point. We are in a 3%, or maybe 4% world. Something that yields 7% or 10% or 12% or as high as you want to go has some sort of risk to it. In the last year FRO has been as high as $72, as low as $34 and is pretty close to the mid point right here.

I don't know the stock but you can glean a fair bit by looking at a chart comparing it to the Energy Sector SPDR (XLE). Yeah yeah it only carries oil and shouldn't move with oil stocks but look back over any decent period of time and you'll see multiple instances of the broader sector getting a cold and FRO getting pneumonia. Maybe it is just a coincidence but in the last two years I count this happening six or seven times--it worked the other way too sometimes. There were also times where they diverged.

The reader wondered how much solace the dividend could offer to a purchase that turned out to be unlucky. The stock hit its high on June 23. A few days later it knifed down to $65. Anyone buying at that point and still holding on has a 15% loss with a dividend coming in September. The last dividend was $2.75 so assuming it is the same next month how much solace is that versus a $10 drop. There can be no right answer.

The risk seems to be one of poor entry into a volatile stock. In the last couple of years there have been times where buying panic was wrong and times where buying strength was wrong. I certainly don't have the answer. No matter how great or lousy someone might think the name is anyone buying in is adding a lot of velocity. This was even the case when oil money was more easily made in the stock market a few years ago.

Business Week’s Gene Marcial’s Top Picks 8/22 issue

CEO Blogger — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:37:45 +0000

Gene Marcial, Business Weeks’ Stock-Picking Guru Recommended the following stocks in the 8/22 Issue of Business Week: 1. Walter Industries a. Although coal’s price has cooled along with oil’s, shares of coal producers are still on fire. b. Despite the pullback in energy prices, Walter continues to show strength, in part due to talk that it [...]

Latin Stocks Offer Great Value, Some Risk

Zacks Market Commentaries — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Many notable names in Latin America have been trading down recently. We wanted to find out from Zacks senior Latin American markets analyst Claudio Freitas, CFA if these were stock we should keep away from or consider great value opportunities.

With earnings season winding down, have companies in your coverage performed as expected? Were there many surprises?

In general, second quarter results for Latin American companies were very positive. Most companies posted higher-than-expected results, mainly the telecom and commodities industries. Nevertheless it was not a great surprise since most analysts, including myself, were expecting positive results.

However, we have been through weird times recently and the fear of the near future, mainly in the commodity sector, is so huge that the great results were not taken seriously and the shares are completely undervalued. There is a complete disconnect between actual results and expected results for the following quarters.

Has the slowing economy in the U.S. created a drag anywhere in your coverage thus far?

Up to now, the slowing U.S. economy has not reached real economy in most Latin American countries. There were some stocks that were affected like Cemex (CX) in Mexico that has a huge exposure to the U.S. construction market. And the airline companies -- Gol (GOL) Tam (TAM) and Lan (LFL) -- were influenced by the higher oil prices. Commodity stocks have been depreciating a lot, including oil stocks, mining and steel producers. What is interesting is that stocks like Gerdau (GGB), Petrobras (PBR) and Vale do Rio Doce (RIO) posted their best earnings ever in the second quarter 2008, thus the market is incorporating a terrible short-term scenario for commodities.

What is your near- to mid-term outlook on companies you cover?

In general, the outlook remains positive. I do believe that the recent sell-off in commodities stocks is extremely exaggerated and that an up correction will come sooner or later. The current prices for companies like Vale or Petrobras make no sense; a worldwide economic collapse would be needed to justify current prices. The economic outlook for Latin America is not as positive today as it was in the end of 2007.

Inflation is on rise and so are local interest rates. However there are still some good names out there, so I guess it is time for search for both value and growth in the same stock.

If you have two or three top Buy recommendations at this time, which stocks would they be?

In the commodity business the best name is Vale (RIO). The current price is a great buying opportunity, even though one must be prepared for a considerable volatility in the commodity market nowadays.

Petrobras (PBR) is also very attractive since I do not buy the idea that now oil prices will collapse. There are other companies trading at very attractive valuations like Telemar (TNE), which also has decent growth outlook and a good dividend yield.

What should investors be mindful of before jumping into your industry?

Latin American markets have been through a difficult period in the last two months. It seems that risk aversion is on rise again and that no one out there wants commodity producers anymore. Brazil is considered by most investors as the ultimate commodity producer, including oil, steel, iron ore, agricultural commodities, etc.

The obvious conclusion is that the market is under pressure and that volatility is huge. I believe the fear of the market is exaggerated and that this is a great buying opportunity. However, it is good to keep in mind that one needs to be aware of the risk and the volatility before jumping into Latin American stocks. As my old man used to say no pain no gain

Claudio Freitas, CFA is a senior analyst covering Latin American markets for Zacks Equity Research.
"CVRO" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?
Zacks Investment Research

A New Bull Market Begins in Four Months

Thomas Keller — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:16:21 +0000

By Jeff Clark It took a few months, and a little bit of begging, but I finally received some questions from readers. Here are a few worth sharing… Dear Jeff: You keep reminding us stocks are in a bear market. But you hardly ever write about short selling. Isn’t that a good strategy to use when stocks [...]

MORNING MARKET REPORT

Raymond Teo — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:52:48 +0000

NEW YORK - The Dow and S&P 500 were little changed on Monday on the final trading day of the second quarter as record oil boosted energy shares, offsetting weak financial stocks amid nagging concerns of further credit losses. The Nasdaq ended the session lower, hurt by a drop in the shares of Yahoo as it [...]

The Market Giveth, The Market Taketh

Market Speculator — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 10:56:50 +0000

The wildest and craziest market is the one we have on our hands. Friday’s action saw lots of panic but it also saw large cap oil related stocks actually fall as crude oil pushed about $138. Large capitalization oil stocks like CVX and XOM closed down on the day on heavier turnover. Even HES was [...]

Friday News Fiesta

Sean Brodrick — Fri, 30 May 2008 16:34:26 +0000

First, here's a chart showing the growth in the silver ETF. I included this chart in a special report on silver that I sent to my premium service subscribers this week ...Here are some other notes, thoughts and links, somewhat scattershot as I am scatterbrained today ...Programming note: I'll be appearing on DEX.TV at 8:21 on Monday morning. It's based in Canada, eh?Barry Rithholz is one of the economic bloggers you should be reading every day.Economist's View is another great site. Here's a good piece, with charts, that this blog did on energy.The always excellent Jim Jubak says oil stocks are topping. Good! I need a pullback to get long again.Naked Capitalism expresses doubts about oil demand.Alltop is a new news aggregation site that has the potential to give Google heartburn. Check out their economic collection and their environmental aggregation.Here's an update on the scarcity of Silver Eagles, which I covered earlier this week. Now the Silver Institute is involved.OK Go continues to impress me with their videos ... I've made my decision. I'm casting my vote for Red State Update ... Harvey Korman was a genius. I'm going to miss him. Have a good weekend

Friday Stories Part II

Trader Mark — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:20:00 +0000

We discussed this on the natural gas side Wednesday [May 7: Roundup for the Day]And don't look now, but in a World of Shortages even natural gas could be causing us some issues NEXT winter says Goldman Sachs. (remember, global competition for resource...