Stock Market News & Stocks to Watch from StraightStocks » Prince Edward Island

Filtering Globally for Telecoms Traded in the US

Richard Shaw — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:23:54 +0000

Telephone companies have historically been stable equity income investments. Internet and wireless technology has changed the landscape and “telephone” became “telecom”. These days there are telecom investment opportunities around the globe with securities traded in US markets. Our database has 276 companies classified as “Communications Services” (telecom). We filtered for possible telecom investment prospects using these [...]

QA on emerging markets with Mark Mobius

Prieur du Plessis — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 08:09:08 +0000

Short-term corrections aside, Mark Mobius remains bullish on emerging markets. Read on for an interesting interview with him.

General Electric (NYSE:GE): Upgraded to Buy at Goldman Sachs

Notable Calls — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:00:00 +0000

div style="text-align: justify;"Goldman Sachs is upgrading span style="font-weight: bold;"General Electric (NYSE:GE)/span to Buy from Neutral with a $15 price target (prev. $13) as as comments reported after the close by US House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank suggest broadening support for regulatory reform that would not mandate the separation of GE Capital. While numerous uncertainties remain, Goldman is reducing their probability assumption for a costly GECS separation to 25% from 50% and this drives their higher target. Greater potential for a manageable regulatory outcome should prompt investors to focus on longer-term benefits of economic and credit stabilization to GE shares.br /br /span style="font-weight: bold;"Catalyst/spanbr /After the close, Bloomberg reported that Barney Frank indicated that GE and “manufacturers with finance businesses should be allowed to keep the units under a revision to rules that govern banking.” This seems to strengthen the view that legislative support for reform requiring GECS separation as implied by the Treasury “White Paper” is declining. Goldman estimates separation could cost equity holders $40 bn (lower EPS on higher taxes, capital and other costs) and had assumed a 50% probability (now lowered to 25%) in their old $13 price target. While uncertainties remain and GE faces other challenges (e.g. later cycle industrial mix and rising credit losses), they believe that – along with economic and credit stabilization signs - risk/ reward is improved to justify upgrading their rating.br /br /span style="font-weight: bold;"Valuation/spanbr /The $15 12-month target assumes 1) $12 for Industrial on $0.85 mid-cycle EPS, 16x PE (vs. 14.5x prior on 25% lower probability of GECS separation), discounted 1.5 yrs at 10%, 2) $3 for GECS on $0.40 mid-cycle EPS, 10x PE, discounted back 2 years at 15%.br /br /span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"Notablecalls:/span What can I say. The stock will trade up on this by about 4-6% but the $15 tgt is really uninspiring. It's more about getting a blessing from GSCO than anything else.br //divdiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/29297569-3154621653679770216?l=notablecalls.blogspot.com'//div

Boeing’s Stock Grounded, How to Capitalize

Bullish Bankers — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:51:09 +0000

The week of June 26th was very bad to Boeing. After continued reassurance from CEO Jim McNerney that the company’s much anticipated (and previously delayed) Dreamliner 787 would be delivered by the 23rd, Boeing once again came up short. To investors, this was simply one slip-up too many… and a company that cannot fulfill promises [...]

QA on emerging markets with Mark Mobius

Prieur du Plessis — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 05:55:16 +0000

This post features a Q&A on emerging markets with Mark Mobius.

Sohu.com (NASDAQ:SOHU): Downgraded to Sell at Deutsche Bank

Notable Calls — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:02:00 +0000

div style="text-align: justify;"Deutsche is out downgrading span style="font-weight: bold;"Sohu.com (NASDAQ:SOHU)/span to Sell from Buy with a $39 tgt.br /br /According to the firm, Sohu has succeeded in its spin-off of gaming affiliate Changyou, but they fear growth expectations of both on-line ads and games implied in Sohu's current share price could prove too optimistic.br /br /span style="font-weight: bold;"- On the advertising front, they assume that Sohu achieves only 9% YoY revenue growth in 2009 (cut from 13%), a pace they believe to be slower than consensus. /spanWhile the company claims itself capable of achieving 12-18% YoY ad revenue growth in 1Q, they are taking a cautious stance toward its online ad outlook in 09 given 1) a strong base in 2008 2) major advertising accounts seem to be cutting ad budget 3) management issues and 4) intensifying competition.br /br /span style="font-weight: bold;"- On the online gaming front, they expect revenue from TLBB to grow 28% in 2009 and slow to 11% in 2010./span Despite achieving 437% revenue growth in 2008, past precedent suggests TLBB should experience substantial revenue growth deceleration in 2009 and 2010. Moreover Deutsche does not expect games in the pipeline to become meaningful revenue contributors in the near term, given current visibility and market anticipation. They forecast incremental revenue from these games will amount to US$3.3m in 2009 and US$11.6m in 2010.br /br /They believe current share price suggests a still overly optimistic view towards Sohu financialbr /performance in 09, which they believe is unachievable. Further, they highlight Sohu’s online ad business should trade at a discount to that of Sina, given its structurally weaker position in brand ad while current share price implies 20x 09 PE for Sohu and 22x for Sina.br /br /span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"Notablecalls:/span I suspect SOHU will get hit on this (at least early on). Very prone to squeeze, though.br //divdiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='http://res1.blogblog.com/tracker/29297569-5192096679197277276?l=notablecalls.blogspot.com'//div

Global Investment News Briefs Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

Contrarian Profits — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:41:28 +0000

pGoldman Targeting PE With Another Fund; Current Media Unplugs IPO Plans; Tech Mahindra Taking Majority of Satyam; Victims Push For Madoff Bankruptcy; Express Scripts Buys WellPoint Unit; Citi May Sell More Japan Assets; Oil Drops on Energy Agency Forecast /p ul type="disc" listrongGoldman Sachs Group Inc. /strong(a href="http://www.google.com/finance?q=gs" target="_blank"GS/a) a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087#38;sid=a9az4R5ClwP8#38;refer=home" target="_blank"created a $5.5 billion fund to purchase private-equity assets/a on the secondary market, strongemBloomberg /em/strongreported. The GS Vintage Fund V - Goldman’s fifth private-equity-targeting fund - will acquire portfolios ranging from $1 million to $1 billion./li /ul ul type="disc" liCiting “current market conditions,” stronga href="http://www.google.com/finance?cid=16100643" target="_blank"Current Media Inc./a/strong, owner of youth-focused network Current TV, a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE53C4YA20090413" target="_blank"has withdrawn its plans for a $100 million initial public offering/a. “It’s still early for a young company in this sector to be coming to market with a new#8230;/li/ul

King Pharma: A Value Play on New Drug Approvals

Bullish Bankers — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:00:41 +0000

King Pharma (KG) is a specialty pharmaceutical company which recently acquired Alpharma for $1.6B and has three pending NDAs at the FDA for new drug approvals and received a complete response late last year for Remoxy (an abuse deterrent form of extended-release oxycodone) along with Pain Therapeutics (PTIE). BioMedReports.com FDA and Clinical Trial Calendars: http://biomedreports.com/fda-calendar.html King is currently trading at around decade lows in terms of stock price at a market cap of $1.7B and enterprise value of $2.2B

Vitaliy Katsenelson: The pain of mean reversion

Prieur du Plessis — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 05:40:52 +0000

"Despite the decline, the market is still not cheap. Sorry, we are not likely to embark on the new secular bull market anytime soon," argues Vitaliy Katsenelson in this guest contribution. Please visit my website (by clicking on the heading above) for...

Valentines Day Stocks

Fred Fuld — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 05:05:00 +0000

a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SZERIA0Vn5I/AAAAAAAAAoU/wsvpFNnYyNA/s1600-h/valentine.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SZERIA0Vn5I/AAAAAAAAAoU/wsvpFNnYyNA/s200/valentine.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301037065747931026" //abr /February 14 is Valentine's Day, so if you haven't done the shopping for your sweetheart, then you better get started. How about a gift of some shares in companies that may participate in sales of Valentines Day related products. Here are some stocks that can benefit from from this popular day, including chocolate, flowers, jewelry, greeting cards, and gift wrap.br /br /Hershey (HSY), founded in 1894, is the largest manufacturer of chocolate in North America and one of the largest chocolate and candy companies in the world. Hershey's Kisses were invented in 1901. Hershey chocolate chips were introduced in 1928. The stock has a P/E of 27, with a favorable yield of 3.2%.br /br /Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Inc. (RMCF) is a very low cap stock [and should therefore be considered very speculative], based in Durango, Colorado, which makes and markets caramels, creams, mints, and truffles. The company, which was founded in 1981, has over 300 franchise locations in 40 states, along with Canada and the United Arab Emirates. The P/E is 11, and their yield is 5.2%. This is a very low cap stock and should be considered very speculative.br /br /1-800-Flowers.com Inc. (FLWS), the largest publicly traded flower seller, also sells plants, gourmet foods, cookies, cakes, candies, wine, gift baskets, and other gifts. They recently generated negative earnings. This is a low cap stock and should be considered very speculative.br /br /Tiffany Co. (TIF), founded in 1837, is one of the top jewelry companies in the world, with over 60 U.S. stores and over 100 international locations. The metric carat as a weight standard for gems was developed by a Tiffany gemologist. The New York City flagship store is home to the 128-carat Fancy Yellow Tiffany Diamond. The stock has a PE of 10, and a yield of 3%.br /br /Blue Nile Inc. (NILE), founded in 1999, is a leading web based retailer of diamonds and fine jewelry, and the largest online retailer of certified diamonds. The stock has a PE of 24.br /br /A couple other jewelry companies are Signet Group plc (SIG), with a PEG of 1, and Zale Corporation (ZLC) which recently generated negative earnings. These are very low cap stocks and should be considered very speculative.br /br /American Greetings Corp. (AM), founded in 1906 and based in Cleveland, Ohio, is the largest publicly-traded greeting card company in the world. The stock has recently generated negative earnings and a yield of 8.5%.br /br /CSS Industries Inc. (CSS) markets gift wrap, gift bags, boxed greeting cards, gift tags, tissue paper, decorations, and decorative ribbons and bows. The stock has a PE of 10, and a yield of 3.6%.br /br /Don't forget to check out a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/diamond-and-jewelry-stocks.html"diamond and jewelry stocks/a and a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/chocolate-stocks.html"chocolate stocks/a.br /br /span style="font-style:italic;"Author does not own any of the above./spanbr /br /By a href="http://Stockerblog.com"Stockerblog.com/adiv class="blogger-post-footer"div class='adsense' style='text-align:center; padding: 0px 3px 0.5em 3px;' script type="text/javascript"!-- google_ad_client="ca-pub-2427831169011625"; google_ad_width=300; google_ad_height=250; google_ad_format="300x250_as"; google_ad_type="text"; google_ad_channel ="8681602088"; google_color_border="FFF3DB"; google_color_bg="FFF3DB"; google_color_link="1B0431"; google_color_url="1B0431"; google_color_text="29303B"; //--/script script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" /script /div

High Yield Stocks with No Debt

Fred Fuld — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 17:20:00 +0000

With the extreme ups and downs in the stock market these days, investors are looking for high dividends in order to provide some stability and income. However, for safety, investors also want companies that have no debt. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com came up with a list of a href="http://WallStreetNewsNetwork.com" target="_blank"35 different debt free stocks with dividends over 4%/a. Most of these stocks have price earnings ratios below 18 and price earnings to growth ratios below 1.8. a href="http://wsnn.com/" target="_blank"WSNN.com/a also has other interesting lists such as stocks selling below cash. br /br /Some of the debt free stocks with decent yields include the following. Remember, all these yields are subject to change, reduction, and elimination.br /br /Nordic American Tanker Shipping Ltd. (NAT), the crude oil tanker company, which has a yield of 22% based on historical dividend payments. The stock has a PE of 9%.br /br /Biovail Corporation (BVF) is a pharmaceutical company that yields 13.3%. They have a PE of 38 and a PEG of 1.37.br /br /Terra Nitrogen Company, L.P. (TNH) is a stock that is structured as a limited partnership, and yields 8.8%. They are a distributor of nitrogen fertilizer products. The PE ratio is 8.br /br /Computer Programs Systems Inc. (CPSI) makes and sells computerized information systems for hospitals. They yield 5.3% with a PE of 19, and a PEG of 1.39.br /br /To access the entire Excel database of the a href="http://WallStreetNewsNetwork.com" target="_blank"35 different high yield debt free stocks/a, some with yields over 15%, that can be downloaded, changed, and sorted, go to a href="http://wsnn.com"WallStreetNewsNetwork.com/a. br /br /span style="font-style:italic;"Author does not own any of the above./spanbr /br /By a href="http://Stockerblog.com"Stockerblog.com/adiv class="blogger-post-footer"div class='adsense' style='text-align:center; padding: 0px 3px 0.5em 3px;' script type="text/javascript"!-- google_ad_client="ca-pub-2427831169011625"; google_ad_width=300; google_ad_height=250; google_ad_format="300x250_as"; google_ad_type="text"; google_ad_channel ="8681602088"; google_color_border="FFF3DB"; google_color_bg="FFF3DB"; google_color_link="1B0431"; google_color_url="1B0431"; google_color_text="29303B"; //--/script script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" /script /div

Federally Approved Stem Cell Therapy: Time to Look at Stem Cell Stocks

Fred Fuld — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 05:39:00 +0000

a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SYksOvCIT5I/AAAAAAAAAoM/DrrO_JiQPJ8/s1600-h/stem_cells.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 169px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SYksOvCIT5I/AAAAAAAAAoM/DrrO_JiQPJ8/s200/stem_cells.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298815068233289618" //abr /Since President Obama has decided to repeal the limitations imposed on embryonic stem cell research, and since the first federally approved human study utilizing embryonic stem cell therapy is now taking place, investors are now looking at opportunities in stem cell stocks. Extensive research is being done to utilize stem cells for a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/gene-therapy-stocks.html" target-"_blank"gene therapy/a and the treatment of multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and many other medical conditions. br /br /A source of stem cells is a href="http://cordbloodstocks.com/" target-"_blank"cord blood/a, the blood from an umbilical cord. The saving and storing of cord blood has become a fast growing business. For example, Richard Branson, founder and head of Virgin Records and Virgin Atlantic Airways, set up a cord blood bank. Even a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/stem-cell-bonds-issued-by-california.html" target-"_blank"Stem Cell Bonds/a were issued by the state of California last year. Also, the National Institute of Health has discovered that strong a href="http://stemcellsstocks.com/" target-"_blank"stem cells/a can be found in baby teeth. br /br /Here are several stocks, which are pure plays or semi-pure plays in the stem cell business. br /br /Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN) is a Connecticut based company with a $2.9 billion market cap that is involved in the development of biologic therapeutic products for the treatment of hematologic and cardiovascular disorders, auto-immune diseases, and cancer. The stock has a forward PE of 444.br /br /ARIAD Pharmaceuticals (ARIA) is a Massachusetts based company, with a $150 million market cap, that is involved in the development of treatments for cancer by using small molecules to regulate cell signaling. Their cancer products are used to treat solid tumors, sarcomas, hormone refractory prostate cancer, and endometrial cancer. The stock has generated negative earnings of $1.01 per share. It is a low cap stock and should be considered very speculative.br /br /Celera Group (CRA) is a company that was founded in 1937. It is involved in the research of new diagnostic markers, using proprietary genomics and proteomics discovery procedures and diagnostic products. Some of their products are used for the detection of HIV, hepatitis C, and cystic fibrosis. They are in collaboration with Abbott Laboratories (ABT), Genentech (DNA), and General Electric (GE). The stock has generated negative earnings.br /br /Cellgene (CELG) is a $24 billion market cap company involved in the discovery and production, of therapies designed to treat cancer and immune-inflammatory-related diseases. One of their main products is Thalomid, which is used for the treatment of erythema nodosum leprosum, a complication of leprosy. They also received patent on placental stem cell recovery. The stock has recently generated negative earnings.br /br /Cytori Therapeutics, Inc. (CYTX) is a $125 million market cap company that makes and markets regenerative medicine medical technologies. They have recently generated negative earnings. This is a low cap stock and should be considered very speculative. br /br /Dendreon Corporation (DNDN) This $358 million market cap company is involved in the discovery, development, and sales of active immunotherapies, monoclonal antibodies, and small molecule product candidates to treat cancer. They also manufacture the DACSÒSC stem cell enrichment device. The stock has had negative earnings.br /br /Geron (GERN) is a Menlo Park, California based $600 million market cap company which develops cell-based therapies derived from human embryonic stem cells used for the treatment of various diseases and medical conditions such as spinal cord damage, heart failure, and diabetes. They have the first federally approved human study utilizing embryonic stem cell therapy. The stock has had negative earnings.br /br /Integra Lifesciences Holdings (IART) is a New Jersey based $781 million market cap company that develops, manufactures, and sells medical devices, implants, biomaterials, and instruments to the stem cell, surgery, and soft tissue repair markets. Their P/E is 40, and the PEG is 1.01.br /br /Invitrogen Corporation (IVGN) is a California based $3.3 billion market cap company which sells products and services to research institutions, pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies, including tools for gene acquisition, gene cloning, and gene analysis techniques. The stock has a P/E of 52.br /br /Neuralstem Inc. (CUR) is a $52 million market cap company that develops and markets human neural stem cell technology. They have recently generated negative earnings. This is an extremely low cap stock and should be considered extremely speculative. br /br /Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. (OSIR) is a $660 million market cap company, which markets stem cell products from adult bone marrow. They have recently generated negative earnings.br /br /StemCells Inc. (STEM) is a $195 market cap company involved in the development, and marketing of cell-based therapeutics to treat liver diseases and diseases of the central nervous system. They have recently generated negative earnings. This is a low cap stock and should be considered very speculative. br /br /Also, check out a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/gene-therapy-stocks.html"gene therapy stocks/a and a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/richard-branson-investing-in-cord-blood.html"cord blood stocks/abr /br /emAuthor does not own any of the above./embr /br /By Fred Fuld at a href="http://Stockerblog.com"Stockerblog.com/adiv class="blogger-post-footer"div class='adsense' style='text-align:center; padding: 0px 3px 0.5em 3px;' script type="text/javascript"!-- google_ad_client="ca-pub-2427831169011625"; google_ad_width=300; google_ad_height=250; google_ad_format="300x250_as"; google_ad_type="text"; google_ad_channel ="8681602088"; google_color_border="FFF3DB"; google_color_bg="FFF3DB"; google_color_link="1B0431"; google_color_url="1B0431"; google_color_text="29303B"; //--/script script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" /script /div

Review of the 2009 Macworld Conference and Expo

Fred Fuld — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 08:17:00 +0000

a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SWmtZExgT4I/AAAAAAAAAnU/qUCH6PVlFiM/s1600-h/iphonecrowd.jpg"img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SWmtZExgT4I/AAAAAAAAAnU/qUCH6PVlFiM/s200/iphonecrowd.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289949883613073282" //a Considering how bad the economy is and in spite of the absence of Steve Jobs, the 2009 Macworld Conference and Expo, held at Moscone Center in San Francisco, California was very successful. This is also in spite of the fact that Apple (AAPL) announced that they wouldn't be back next year. But that isn't the only disappearing act. br /br /There were a couple other major companies that were conspicuous by their absence, such as Adobe (ADBE). Adobe used to be one of the anchor exhibitors at the Expo, and one of the noteworthy producers of Macintosh software. Another MIA was Sony (SNE). Does anyone remember the old Sony beige 3.5 inch floppy disks?br /br /So who was there in place of the biggies? There were approximately 400 exhibitors and most of them were small or private or unknown businesses, more small business exhibitors than I've ever seen at any of the previous Expos. It is amazing how many companies and employees exist because of the Macintosh, the iPod, and the iPhone. br /br /a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SWmsON0Dg5I/AAAAAAAAAm0/RVl1CkKvHAY/s1600-h/dmc.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SWmsON0Dg5I/AAAAAAAAAm0/RVl1CkKvHAY/s200/dmc.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289948597549499282" //aFor example, one local San Francisco Bay Area computer repair shop, called techrestore.com, had a DeLorean time machine automobile on display to attract visitors. And speaking of cars, Honda Motor Company (HMC) had an Acura on display, along with a very old working Mac Plus on display. Remember those? Actually, it was a Mac Plus case that had been gutted with a more up-to-date computer installed. Honda has a PE ratio of 14 and a yield of 3.6%. a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SWmslO-XUhI/AAAAAAAAAm8/mgAYk6qjp-o/s1600-h/acura.jpg"img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SWmslO-XUhI/AAAAAAAAAm8/mgAYk6qjp-o/s200/acura.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289948992998167058" //abr /br /One of the surprise exhibitors was Google (GOOG), which had displays showing Google Maps and YouTube. Google has a PE of 19.a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SWms1jQBjdI/AAAAAAAAAnE/-XmUL-amEq4/s1600-h/google.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SWms1jQBjdI/AAAAAAAAAnE/-XmUL-amEq4/s200/google.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289949273318854098" //abr /br /br /Other publicly traded companies that attracted a lot of people to their exhibits include Nikon (NINOY.PK) and NEC Electronics (NELTY.PK), both of which trade on the Pink Sheets, and Canon Inc. (CAJ) with a PE of 9, and Hewlett-Packard Company (HPQ) with a PE of 12 and a yield of 0.9%, both of which trade on the New York Stock Exchange.br /br /Of course, Microsoft (MSFT) was there, promoting Office 2008 for the Mac. The stock has a PE of 10 and a yield of 2.7%. br /br /a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SWmtHqcl2gI/AAAAAAAAAnM/OUB51R0hsX8/s1600-h/lennon.jpg"img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SWmtHqcl2gI/AAAAAAAAAnM/OUB51R0hsX8/s200/lennon.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289949584488258050" //abr /The show also had the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus again this year, which is a non-profit mobile recording studio that travels to schools across the company. Overall, the show and the exhibits were well received. Let's hope the Macworld Expo is repeated in the future, and let's hope Apple continues to be successful, since many people and many small companies rely on its success. br /br /By the way, if you had followed the a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/macworld-expo-apple-stock-correlation.html"MacWorld Expo Apple Stock Correlation/a, it would have worked. I wrote about this back on October 28, and each year prior to that for several years. You would have made a profit of 2.7% in less than two months, buying Apple at 88.14 on November 17 and selling on January 9 at 90.58.br /br /iAuthor owns AAPL and MSFT./ibr /br /By Fred Fuld at a href="http://Stockerblog.com"Stockerblog.com/adiv class="blogger-post-footer"div class='adsense' style='text-align:center; padding: 0px 3px 0.5em 3px;' script type="text/javascript"!-- google_ad_client="ca-pub-2427831169011625"; google_ad_width=300; google_ad_height=250; google_ad_format="300x250_as"; google_ad_type="text"; google_ad_channel ="8681602088"; google_color_border="FFF3DB"; google_color_bg="FFF3DB"; google_color_link="1B0431"; google_color_url="1B0431"; google_color_text="29303B"; //--/script script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" /script /div

Top Canadian Oil Royalty Trusts: Yields Over 20%

Fred Fuld — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:21:00 +0000

With the price of oil dropping below $40 a barrel for several days, the prices of the Canadian oil royalty trusts have dropped substantially. These Canadian Income Trusts, also known as Canadian Oil Income Trusts or Canadian Royalty Trusts pay a very high income. These trusts pass through all their earnings from oil and gas wells to the trust holders, similar to real estate investment trusts. There is no taxation at the corporate level since they are structured as trusts. Also, a portion of the dividends may be non-taxable due to depletion and depreciation deductions.br /You should be aware that the Canadian government came out with a plan to tax all Canadian trusts at the corporate level beginning in the year 2011. However, the average yield from Canadian trusts is still higher than the U.S. royalty trusts. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com recently came out with an updated database list of a href="http://WallStreetNewsNetwork.com"Canadian Oil Royalty Trusts/a. Below is a list of some of the Canadian Royalty Trusts that are traded on United States stock exchanges.br /br /Pengrowth Energy (PGH) has been paying dividends since July 2004. The stock has a P/E of 9, with a yield of 28.1%.br /br /Provident Energy Trust (PVX), has been paying monthly dividends since October 2002, has a PE of 5 and pays a yield of 22.6%.br /br /Advantage Energy Income (AAV), has paid dividends since April 2004. The stock has a PE of 8 and a yield of 28.7%.br /br /To get an Excel database list of all the US-traded Canadian Income Trusts, which you can download and sort, go to a href="http://WallStreetNewsNetwork.com"WallStreetNewsNetwork.com/a.br /br /emAuthor does not own any of the above. Please note: these very high yields may not be sustainable./embr /br /By a href="http://Stockerblog.com"Stockerblog.com/adiv class="blogger-post-footer"div class='adsense' style='text-align:center; padding: 0px 3px 0.5em 3px;' script type="text/javascript"!-- google_ad_client="ca-pub-2427831169011625"; google_ad_width=300; google_ad_height=250; google_ad_format="300x250_as"; google_ad_type="text"; google_ad_channel ="8681602088"; google_color_border="FFF3DB"; google_color_bg="FFF3DB"; google_color_link="1B0431"; google_color_url="1B0431"; google_color_text="29303B"; //--/script script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" /script /div

Basketball Stocks: and Why a Warren Buffett Company is Included

Fred Fuld — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 08:27:00 +0000

a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SVXq_Wn9ZRI/AAAAAAAAAms/2Hy4p_jyDYw/s1600-h/Basketball.png"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SVXq_Wn9ZRI/AAAAAAAAAms/2Hy4p_jyDYw/s320/Basketball.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284388111914984722" //abr /At last night's Lakers versus the Celtics basketball game, tickets supposedly went for $20,000 each from the scalpers. Basketball, in addition to being a great aerobic sport for participants, a great spectator sport for fans, and is big business. The following companies are involved the sport of basketball in some way, some just a small portion of their business.br /br /Cablevision Systems Corp. (CVC) Their Madison Square Garden division owns and operates the New York Knickerbockers basketball team; they also own the Madison Square Garden Arena, the New York Rangers hockey team, the New York Liberty women's basketball team, and the Hartford Wolf Pack hockey team. The stock has a PE of 45, a PEG of 5.62, and a yield of 2.7%. br /br /Comcast (CMCSA) The company owns Comcast-Spectacor, which owns the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association, along with the the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, and the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League. The stock has a PE of 17, a PEG of 1.49, and a yield of 1.6%. br /br /Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. (DKS) markets basketballs and basketball equipment and apparel, along with all other types of sports equipment and sportswear. The stock has a PE of 11, and a PEG of 0.66. br /br /Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) Warren Buffet's company owns Russell Corporation, which owns Spalding, a leading producer of basketballs, and has been the official ball supplier to the NBA since 1983. The stock has a PE of 18. br /br /Amer Sports Oyj (AGPDY.PK) the largest manufacturer of sporting equipment in the world, owns the Wilson Sporting Goods Company, manufacturer of the official ball of all NCAA postseason tournaments. br /br /Nike (NKE) produces balls for ULEB, including the Euroleague and is used in the NCAA and UAAP in the Philippines. The stock has a PE of 13, a PEG of 1.01, and a yield of 2%. br /br /United States Basketball League Inc. (USBL.OB) is a Connecticut company that manages and franchises a professional basketball league in the United States. This is a very low market cap stock and should therefore be considered very speculative.br /br /American Basketball Association, Inc. (ABKB.PK) operates a professional basketball league in the United States, along with selling league-related merchandise and products. This is a very low market cap stock and should therefore be considered very speculative.br /br /If you like sports stocks, you should also check out a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/how-to-invest-in-soccer-stocks.html"Soccer/a, a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/racecar-motorsports-stocks-worth-doing.html"Racecar Motorsports/a, a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/taking-swing-at-golf-stocks.html"Golf/a, a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2007/07/hockey-stocks-in-summer.html"Hockey/a, and a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/take-swing-at-tennis-stocks-and-why.html"Tennis/a.br /br /span style="font-style:italic;"Author has owned USBL.OB for a long time. No recommendation expressed or implied./spanbr /br /By a href="http://Stockerblog.com"Stockerblog.com/adiv class="blogger-post-footer"div class='adsense' style='text-align:center; padding: 0px 3px 0.5em 3px;' script type="text/javascript"!-- google_ad_client="ca-pub-2427831169011625"; google_ad_width=300; google_ad_height=250; google_ad_format="300x250_as"; google_ad_type="text"; google_ad_channel ="8681602088"; google_color_border="FFF3DB"; google_color_bg="FFF3DB"; google_color_link="1B0431"; google_color_url="1B0431"; google_color_text="29303B"; //--/script script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" /script /div

Time for Brazil Stocks?

Fred Fuld — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 06:00:00 +0000

The iShares MSCI Brazil Index (EWZ) is down about 55% for the year, however, in the last month, it has risen over 35%. Brazil companies are on the move. Of the four BRIC countries, Brazil seems to be the country that is in the strongest shape and has the greatest potential. So what Brazilian stocks should you invest in? One resource is the book a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/2138480"Investing in Stocks/a.br /br /If you are looking for a petrochemical company, there is Braskem S.A. (BAK), the largest thermoplastics producer in Brazil. Unfortunately, the company has recently generated negative earnings; however, revenues for the latest quarter were up by 8.9%. br /br /With growth in the rebuilding of infrastructure, the demand for steel should increase, and should benefit Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (SID), the second largest Brazilian steel manufacturer. The stock has a PE of 15.5, and a yield, based on historical payments this year, of 13%.br /br /Companhia Vale (RIO) is the second largest mining company in the world and the largest logistics operator in Brazil. The stock has a PE of 7 and a yield of 1.1%.br /br /Banco Itau Holding Financeira S.A. (ITU) is the second largest bank in Brazil, and also owns the investment company, Investimentos Itau. The stock has a PE of 15.5 and a PEG of 0.84. It pays a small yield of 0.5%.br /br /Telemig Celular Participacoes S.A. (TMB) is one of the largest cellular providers in Brazil. The stock has a PE of 5 and pays a small yield of 0.%.br /br /If you like beer, you'll love Companhia de Bebidas Das Americas (ABV) also known as AMBEV, which distributes beer, soft drinks sport drinks, and bottled water. The stock has a PE of 19 and a PEG of 2.5. Their yield is 5.1%.br /br /CPFL Energia S.A. (CPL) is one of the largest electrical utilities in Brazil with a PE of 12 and a PEG of 8.13. The yield is 13.1% based on historical dividend payments.br /br /To see a list of all Brazilian stocks, check out a href="http://WallStreetNewsNetwork.com"WallStreetNewsNetwork.com/a or the book a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/2138480"Investing in Stocks/a.br /br /span style="font-style:italic;"Author does not own any of the above. However, he wrote the above book./spanbr /br /By a href="http://Stockerblog.com"Stockerblog.com/adiv class="blogger-post-footer"div class='adsense' style='text-align:center; padding: 0px 3px 0.5em 3px;' script type="text/javascript"!-- google_ad_client="ca-pub-2427831169011625"; google_ad_width=300; google_ad_height=250; google_ad_format="300x250_as"; google_ad_type="text"; google_ad_channel ="8681602088"; google_color_border="FFF3DB"; google_color_bg="FFF3DB"; google_color_link="1B0431"; google_color_url="1B0431"; google_color_text="29303B"; //--/script script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" /script /div

Smoking President Portfolio: Yields as High as 11%

Fred Fuld — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 07:51:00 +0000

a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SUNq1diWT3I/AAAAAAAAAmk/bSjmELRaRnY/s1600-h/Cigarette.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 231px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SUNq1diWT3I/AAAAAAAAAmk/bSjmELRaRnY/s320/Cigarette.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279180654902660978" //abr /Now that Barrack Obama is the president-elect, the United Stated will have the first smoking president in many years. Although he has made plans to quit smoking, he admits that he still hasn't yet stopped entirely. Will this have an effect on the consumption of cigarettes and tobacco? If you think so, and you have no objection to investing in cigarette stocks, you may want to consider the tobacco companies, especially because of their extremely high yields.br /br /Vector Group Ltd. (VGR) is a Florida based company that has numerous brands of cigarettes including Liggett, Grand Prix, Eve, Pyramid, USA and nicotine-free Quest. The stock has a PE of 15 a PEG of 1.25, and pays a yield of 11.7%.br /br /Reynolds American Inc. (RAI) makes and markets cigarettes and other tobacco products including the Camel, Kool, Pall Mall, Doral, Winston, Salem, Misty, Capri, Dunhill, State Express 555, and Natural American Spirit brands. The stock has a PE of 9 a PEG of 1.33, and pays a yield of 8.4%.br /br /Altria Group Inc. (MO) is a Virginia based company that makes and markets cigarettes, cigars, and beer. It is the largest cigarette company by market cap in the US. The stock has a PE of 5 a PEG of 0.86, and pays a yield of 8.5%.br /br /British American Tobacco plc (BTI) is a London based company that markets cigarettes and cigars under the Dunhill, Kent, Kool, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Rothmans, Vogue, Viceroy, and Peter Stuyvesant brands. It is one of the largest cigarette companies in the world by market cap. The stock has a PE of 14 a PEG of 1.17, and pays a yield of 3.5%.br /br /Philip Morris International, Inc. (PM) markets Marlboro, LM, Philip Morris, Chesterfield, Parliament, Lark, and Virginia Slims outside the United States. The stock has a PE of 12 a PEG of 1.1, and pays a yield of 5.1%.br /br /Lorillard, Inc. (LO) has the Newport, Kent, True, Maverick, Old Gold, and Max brands. The have a PE of 12, a PEG of 1.44, and a yield of 6.3%.br /br /If you like high yield stocks, you should check out a href=" http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/top-yielding-electric-utilities.html"electric utilities/a and a href=" http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/top-yielding-gas-utility-stocks.html"gas utilities/a. You can also download an Excel database of a href="http://WallStreetNewsNetwork.com/"monthly dividend stocks/a and utility stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.div class="blogger-post-footer"div class='adsense' style='text-align:center; padding: 0px 3px 0.5em 3px;' script type="text/javascript"!-- google_ad_client="ca-pub-2427831169011625"; google_ad_width=300; google_ad_height=250; google_ad_format="300x250_as"; google_ad_type="text"; google_ad_channel ="8681602088"; google_color_border="FFF3DB"; google_color_bg="FFF3DB"; google_color_link="1B0431"; google_color_url="1B0431"; google_color_text="29303B"; //--/script script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" /script /div

Tender Offer for Taro Pharma Tarries Along

ETF Innovators — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 08:07:00 +0000

Tender Offer for Taro Pharma Tarries Along India's largest generic drug company [web link to analysis of this market] by market cap, Sun Pharma (Bombay: 524715), and Israel-based Taro Pharma (TAROF) have one month to reach agreement on an outstanding tender offer of $7.75 per share by Sun Pharma to acquire its [...]

Stocks Which Benefit from Low Oil Prices Part 2: Utilities

Fred Fuld — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 05:18:00 +0000

a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/STtlkEBkX0I/AAAAAAAAAmM/1FYndgjniZU/s1600-h/oilderrick.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/STtlkEBkX0I/AAAAAAAAAmM/1FYndgjniZU/s320/oilderrick.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276923058624683842" //abr /Oil may break through $40 a barrel, since it is skirting very close to that price and has traded as low as $40.81. Recently, I wrote about the trucking and package delivery a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/stocks-which-benefit-from-low-oil.html"stocks which could benefit from lower gasoline prices/a.br /br /With the price of oil and natural gas tanking, investors are now looking closely at the utility stocks that use oil and gas as a major fuel source of their electrical generation. Hopefully, the cost savings for these companies will pass through to the bottom line long before the Utilities Commissions implement rate reductions. br /br /Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (PNW) has one of the heaviest exposures, with 24% of their electric energy coming from oil and natural gas. About 35% comes from coal and 21.5% from nuclear. This Phoenix, Arizona based company has a PE of 11, a PEG of 2.62 and a yield of 7.2%.br /br /Westar Energy Inc. (WR) generates about 34% of its energy from natural gas, with 56% from coal and 9% from nuclear. This utility which serves Kansas has a PE of 12, a PEG of 3.11 and a yield of 6.2%.br /br /Entergy Corp. (ETR) has about 18% of its fuel sources coming from oil and natural gas. 12% is from coal and 33% from nuclear, with the rest purchased. Entergy serves Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, and Louisiana, including the City of New Orleans, where it is based. The stock has a PE of 13, a PEG of 1.17 and a yield of 3.7%.br /br /OGE Energy Corp. (OGE) has 29% of its energy coming from natural gas, with 51% from coal. They serve the south central United States. The stock has a PE of 9, a PEG of 2.32 and a yield of 6%.br /br /Alliant Energy Corp. (LNT) has 28% of its electricity generated from natural gas and 6% from oil. The company serves Iowa and southern Minnesota. The stock has a PE of 8, a PEG of 1.78 and a yield of 4.9%.br /br /Cleco Corp. (CNL), another Louisiana based company, with 14% exposure to natural gas. The stock has a PE of 13, a PEG of 0.99 and a yield of 4.2%.br /br /If you like utility stocks, you should take a look at a href=" http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/highest-yielding-electric-utilities-for.html"Highest Yielding Electric Utilities/a and a href=" http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/highest-yielding-natural-gas-utilities.html"Highest Yielding Natural Gas Utilities/a. You can also find an Excel database of utility stocks, which you can download, add to and sort, at a href="http://WallStreetNewsNetwork.com"WallStreetNewsNetwork.com/abr /br /emAuthor does not own any of the above./embr /br /By Fred Fuld at a href="http://Stockerblog.com"Stockerblog.com/adiv class="blogger-post-footer"div class='adsense' style='text-align:center; padding: 0px 3px 0.5em 3px;' script type="text/javascript"!-- google_ad_client="ca-pub-2427831169011625"; google_ad_width=300; google_ad_height=250; google_ad_format="300x250_as"; google_ad_type="text"; google_ad_channel ="8681602088"; google_color_border="FFF3DB"; google_color_bg="FFF3DB"; google_color_link="1B0431"; google_color_url="1B0431"; google_color_text="29303B"; //--/script script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" /script /div

Stocks Which Benefit from Low Oil Prices

Fred Fuld — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 08:29:00 +0000

a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/STo_9uvA43I/AAAAAAAAAmE/qJ0V7wiT__w/s1600-h/package.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 173px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/STo_9uvA43I/AAAAAAAAAmE/qJ0V7wiT__w/s320/package.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276600243167748978" //abr /With the price of oil dropping below $41 per barrel, now is the time to look for the companies would benefit from these lower prices. These are the companies that have oil and gasoline as one of their major expenses. br /br /Obviously, the package delivery companies would be beneficiaries. For example, there is United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS), which happens to be one of Warren Buffett's holdings. UPS has a forward PE of 16 and a PEG ratio of 1.33, with a yield of 3.2%.br /br /Then f course, there is FedEx Corporation (FDX) with a PE of 23, a PEG of 1.07, and a yield of 0.6%.br /br /Other companies that should benefit are the a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/keep-on-trucking-stocks.html"truckers/a. One of the largest is JB Hunt Transport Services Inc. (JBHT). The stock has a PE of 17 and a PEG of 1.38, with a yield of 1.5%. br /br /Landstar System Inc. (LSTR) has a PE of 14 and a PEG of 0.96. It pays a yield of 0.5%.br /br /Heartland Express Inc. (HTLD) has a PE of 21 and a PEG of 1.95. It yields 0.5%.br /br /Knight Transportation Inc. (KNX) has a PE of 24 and a PEG of 1.71. It pays a yield of 1.1%.br /br /Werner Enterprises Inc. (WERN) has a PE of 20 and a PEG of 1.98. The yield is 1.2%.br /br /Con-Way, Inc. (CNW) has a PE of 8 and a PEG of 0.75, with a yield of 1.6%.br /br /span style="font-style:italic;"Author owns UPS and FDX./spanbr /br /By a href="http://Stockerblog.com"Stockerblog.com/adiv class="blogger-post-footer"div class='adsense' style='text-align:center; padding: 0px 3px 0.5em 3px;' script type="text/javascript"!-- google_ad_client="ca-pub-2427831169011625"; google_ad_width=300; google_ad_height=250; google_ad_format="300x250_as"; google_ad_type="text"; google_ad_channel ="8681602088"; google_color_border="FFF3DB"; google_color_bg="FFF3DB"; google_color_link="1B0431"; google_color_url="1B0431"; google_color_text="29303B"; //--/script script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" /script /div

Iraq revisited

Daniel Broby — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:29:00 +0000

Danfonds had a one on one with Bjorn Englund, the manager of the Babylon fund, today in Copenhagen. Bjorn is one of those managers who inspires confidence and is prepared to push the traditional boundaries of investment out to their geographic limits. br /br /Iraq is not a stock picking market but rather a politically driven one. We therefore prefer to access it through a basket or a fund such as Babylon. Although an oil resource story, the listed companies are largely banks. These are generally small. Even Dar El Salam Investment Bank, owned 70% by HSBC, is only USD 248m. Commercial Bank of Iraq, however, sounded more interesting to us, standing on a PE of 5 and PB of 1. There is, as they say, a price for everything.

US stock market returns – what is in store?

Prieur du Plessis — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 05:52:08 +0000

Based on a multi-year comparison of the price-earnings (PE) ratios of the S&P 500 Index and the forward real returns, investors should be aware of the fact that the stock market is by historical standards only in “average value” territory. As ...

Cheap Stocks: Stocks Selling Below Cash with No Debt

Fred Fuld — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 05:17:00 +0000

If you are looking for a stock that has almost no downside, you can't beat a stock that is trading at a price below its cash per share, and on top of that, has little or no debt. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has just updated their list of a href="http://wallstreetnewsnetwork.com"stocks selling below cash/a and has added a column which shows the amount a debt that the company has. Surprisingly, there are about a half a dozen with no debt at all and several more with relatively low debt.br /br /For example, TradeStation Group Inc. (TRAD), an online stock brokerage company, has about $16 in cash yet the stock sells for less than $7 per share. Not only that, the stock is debt free. The company announced last month that their daily trading volume rose 62 percent in October. The stock has a PE of 8 and a PEG of 0.42. br /br /Another 'below cash' stock is Health Net Inc. (HNT), the managed health care company. The company has over $20 per share in cash and the stock sells for less than $9 per share. In addition, the company only has $645 million in debt. The company just announced that that Jonathan H. Scheff has returned as chief medical officer. The stock has a PE of 5 and a PEG of 0.48. br /br /CIENA Corp. (CIEN), the network hardware and software company, sells for less than $7 per share but has cash per share of over $11. They have about $800 million in debt. Their earnings call is scheduled for Thursday, December 11. The stock has a PE of 7 and a PEG of 0.37. br /br /For a downloadable Excel database of cheap stocks, which can be sorted and changed, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com to see the a href="http://WallStreetNewsNetwork.com"Stocks Selling Below Cash with No or Low Debt/a.br /br /By a href="http://Stockerblog.com"Stockerblog.com/adiv class="blogger-post-footer"div class='adsense' style='text-align:center; padding: 0px 3px 0.5em 3px;' script type="text/javascript"!-- google_ad_client="ca-pub-2427831169011625"; google_ad_width=300; google_ad_height=250; google_ad_format="300x250_as"; google_ad_type="text"; google_ad_channel ="8681602088"; google_color_border="FFF3DB"; google_color_bg="FFF3DB"; google_color_link="1B0431"; google_color_url="1B0431"; google_color_text="29303B"; //--/script script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" /script /div

Tennessee Stocks

Fred Fuld — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 05:29:00 +0000

a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SSzhuXNGTuI/AAAAAAAAAl8/tRtxMxNVyqA/s1600-h/Memphis.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SSzhuXNGTuI/AAAAAAAAAl8/tRtxMxNVyqA/s320/Memphis.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272837450363195106" //abr /If there is half as much future as there is history for Tennessee, then it is a bright future. And according to several independent organizations, Tennessee is one of the best states in the country to do business. The future is looking bright! Here are some interesting facts about the state:br /br /1. The state offers several incentives for new businesses and businesses relocating to Tennessee. They include, tax credits and tax exemptions.br /2. 80% of the state land is used for agricultural and forestry purposes.br /3. Tennessee most important crops are tobacco, soybeans, and cotton.br /4. The agricultural industry produces more than $2.5 billion in cash receipts.br /5. In a report issued by the American Legislative Exchange Council Tennessee is the 5th best economy in the country.br /6. Tennessee mining industry employs 4,200 workers and it generates income in excess of $800 million.br /7. Currently oil, coal and natural gas mined in the state account for 10% of total mineral mining income in Tennessee.br /8. The tourism industry economic impact is $14.2 billion.br /9. Tennessee’s retail industry employs 315,000 workers and is a $70 billion industry.br /10. The state’s manufacturing industry is dominated by the processed foods sector (grain products, cereals and breads).br /br /The following companies are headquartered in Tennessee:br /br /FedEx Corporation (FDX) provides business services worldwide; its services include freight, ground and express shipping. The stock has a market cap of $19.47 billion, a PE of 21, a PEG of 1.00, and it pays a yield of 0.7%.br /br /International Paper Company (IP) makes papers for writing and printing, market pulp, and other paper products. The stock has a market cap of $7.70 billion, a PE of 6, a PEG of 0.99 and it pays a yield of 9%.br /br /Unum Group (UNM) operates in the United States, and the United Kingdom as a provider of disability products, and other insurance products. The stock has a market cap of $5.49 billion, a PE of 8, a PEG 0.65, and it pays a yield of 1.7%.br /br /AutoZone Inc. (AZO) is a distributor and retailer of parts and accessories for automobiles. The stock has a market cap of $6.35 billion, a PE of 11, and a PEG of 0.79.br /br /Eastman Chemical Company (EMN) makes and markets chemicals, plastics and other products. The stock has a market cap of $3.16 billion, a PE of 9, a PEG of 1.22, and it pays a dividend of 4.3%.br /br /First Horizon National Corporation (FHN) is a holding company for First Tennessee Bank. The stock has a market cap of $2.26 billion, and it pays a dividend of 6.9%.br /br /Regal Entertainment Group (RGC) manages movie theaters in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $2.07 billion, a PE of 23, a PEG of 2.01, and it pays a yield of 8.6%.br /br /Corrections Corporation of America (CXW) owns and manages prisons. It provides transportation services for inmates, healthcare, and other services. The stock has a market cap of $2.22 billion, a PE of 16, and a PEG of 0.81.br /br /King Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (KG) supplies pharmaceutical products in the United States and internationally. The stock has a market cap of $2.03 billion, a PE of 15, and a PEG of 0.71.br /br /Community Health Systems, Inc. (CYH) renders healthcare services in the United States. The company owns and operates hospitals. The stock has a market cap of $1.71 billion, a PE of 56, and a PEG of 0.55.br /br /Don't forget to check out the stocks from the states of a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/wisconsin-stocks.html"Wisconsin/a, a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/louisiana-stocks.html"Louisiana/a, a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/michigan-stocks.html"Michigan/a, and a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/kentucky-stocks.html"Kentucky/a. br /br /iAuthor does not own any of the above./ibr /br /By a href="http://Stockerblog.com"Stockerblog.com/adiv class="blogger-post-footer"div class='adsense' style='text-align:center; padding: 0px 3px 0.5em 3px;' script type="text/javascript"!-- google_ad_client="ca-pub-2427831169011625"; google_ad_width=300; google_ad_height=250; google_ad_format="300x250_as"; google_ad_type="text"; google_ad_channel ="8681602088"; google_color_border="FFF3DB"; google_color_bg="FFF3DB"; google_color_link="1B0431"; google_color_url="1B0431"; google_color_text="29303B"; //--/script script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" /script /div

Stock Picks for Healthy Returns

ETF Innovators — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 03:44:00 +0000

Abbott Labs (ABT) is a consistent performer with diversified healthcare operations, including pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, medical nutrition products, and medical devices/stents. ABT is back to the lower end of its trading range near 50 bucks, presenting an excellent entry point with a 2.8% dividend yield and forward PE of about 14X. Celgene (CELG) [...]

Ohio Stocks

Fred Fuld — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 06:56:00 +0000

a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SSpYq8j_wfI/AAAAAAAAAl0/9kY9DN2tjic/s1600-h/ohio.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 125px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SSpYq8j_wfI/AAAAAAAAAl0/9kY9DN2tjic/s320/ohio.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272123808625443314" //abr /Long gone are the days when the French system of trading furs in Ohio was synonymous of wealth. Today Ohio’s economy is one of the most dynamic in America. These are some interesting facts about Ohio:br /br /1. Ohio is one of the top consumers of energy in the country.br /2. The state has a biomass energy program aimed to increase development and production of alternative biomass fuels in the state.br /3. In 2007 Ohio’s gross domestic product was $466 billion.br /4. The state’s manufacturing industries are the top producers in the U.S. of plastics and rubber, and electrical equipment and appliances.br /5. Walmart is Ohio’s largest employer, employing over 50,000 workers.br /6. The state’s top exports are automobiles and machinery.br /7. Ohio’s exports account for 4% of the total U.S. export with total export receipts in 2007 of $42.4 billion.br /8. The main mined mineral in Ohio is coal. The state has reserves of 23.7 billion short tons and it ranks number 7 nationally.br /9. The manufacturing industry produces 20% of the state’s total output in 2007.br /10. The bioscience industry accounts for 17% of the state’s total output.br /br /The following companies are headquartered in Ohio:br /br /Procter Gamble Company (PG) provides beauty, health products and household care products worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $188 billion, a PE of 17, a PEG of 1.47, and it pays a yield of 2.5%.br /br /The Kroger Co. (KR) is a supermarket retailer in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $17 billion, a PE of 14, a PEG of 1.48, and it pays a yield of 1.4%.br /br /FirstEnergy Corp. (FE) is an electric utilities service company in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $15 billion, a PE of 13, a PEG of 1.29, and it pays a yield of 4.6%.br /br /Cardinal Health (CAH) is a provider of products and services to hospitals and clinics in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $14 billion, a PE of 11, a PEG of 0.80, and it pays a yield of 1.5%.br /br /American Electric Power Company, Inc. (AEP) is a producer and marketer of electric power in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $ 12 billion, a PE of 8, a PEG of 1.64, and it pays a yield of 5.6%.br /br /The Progressive Corporation (PGR) is an automobile insurance company. It also provides other property and casualty insurance products. The stock has a market cap of $9 billion, a PE of 1354, a PEG of 1.22, and it pays a yield of 1.1%.br /br /Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) is a financial services institution. It offers banking services and cash management among others. The stock has a market cap of $7 billion, a PE of 15, a PEG of 2.85, and it pays a dividend of 4.7%.br /br /Eaton Corporation (ETN) is a producer and distributor of electrical components. The stock has a market cap of $7 billion, a PE of 6, a PEG of 0.48, and it pays a yield of 4.6%.br /br /Nationwide Financial Services, Inc. (NFS) offers savings and retirement accounts in the United States. The company has a market cap of $6.7 billion, a forward PE of 20, a PEG of 1.13, and it pays a yield of 2.4%.br /br /National City Corporation (NCC) is a financial institution providing banking services in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $2.2 billion, and it pays a yield of 1.3%.br / br /Don't forget to check out the stocks from the states of a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/wisconsin-stocks.html"Wisconsin/a, a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/louisiana-stocks.html"Louisiana/a, a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/michigan-stocks.html"Michigan/a, and a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/kentucky-stocks.html"Kentucky/a. br /br /iAuthor does not own any of the above./ibr /br /By Stockerblog.comdiv class="blogger-post-footer"div class='adsense' style='text-align:center; padding: 0px 3px 0.5em 3px;' script type="text/javascript"!-- google_ad_client="ca-pub-2427831169011625"; google_ad_width=300; google_ad_height=250; google_ad_format="300x250_as"; google_ad_type="text"; google_ad_channel ="8681602088"; google_color_border="FFF3DB"; google_color_bg="FFF3DB"; google_color_link="1B0431"; google_color_url="1B0431"; google_color_text="29303B"; //--/script script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" /script /div

South Carolina Stocks

Fred Fuld — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 09:09:00 +0000

a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SSfQXZfpwKI/AAAAAAAAAls/Lj1wys_5L-Y/s1600-h/southcarolina.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SSfQXZfpwKI/AAAAAAAAAls/Lj1wys_5L-Y/s320/southcarolina.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271410989259669666" //abr /A state of white sand beaches, mountain trails, and historic sites… And it is not Hawaii; we are talking about South Carolina. Some other facts that you may not know about South Carolina follow:br /br /1. South Carolina’s GSP ranks 28th nationally, with a total of $152 billion.br /2. The state offers low corporate income taxes and no state property tax as a way to attract new business to the state.br /3. Tourism industry produces $16.7 billion each year.br /4. The top agricultural commodities are broilers, greenhouse and floriculture products, turkeys and cattle and calves.br /5. South Carolina’s agribusiness provides employment for 200,000 workers.br /6. Forests cover 2/3 of South Carolina’s surface and they provide for one of the state’s most valuable crops: timber, which produces $835 million annually.br /7. Mined minerals within the state have a value of $480 million.br /8. South Carolina is the top of producer of cement, and second in the production of kaolin.br /9. The state exports transportation equipment, chemical manufactures, and machinery manufactures, for a total of $9.8 billion.br /10. The top destination for South Carolina’s export is Germany, Canada, and Mexico.br /br /The following companies are headquartered in South Carolina:br /br /Scana Corporation (SCG) produces transports and sells electricity to customers in South Carolina. The stock has a market cap of $3.63 billion, a PE of 11, a PEG of 2.22, and it pays a yield of 5.8%.br /br /Sonoco Products Company, (SON) produces consumer packaging products, and provides packaging services to the industrial sector in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $2.39 billion, a PE of 12, a PEG of 1.15, and it pays a yield of 5.1%.br /br /AVX Corporation (AVX) produces, markets and distributes passive electronic components in the United States and internationally. The stock has a market cap of $1.43 billion, a PE of 10, a PEG of 0.94, and it pays a dividend of 1.8%.br /br /Blackbaud, Inc. (BLKB) designs and offers software to nonprofit organizations. The stock has a market cap of $666.22 million, a PE of 20, a PEG of 1.15, and it pays a yield of 2.8%.br /br /ScanSource, Inc. (SCSC) is a wholesaler of technology products. The stock has a market cap of $542.53 million, a PE of 10, and a PEG of 0.66.br /br /The South Financial Group, Inc. (TSFG) acts as the holding company for Carolina First Bank and Mercantile Bank. The stock has a market cap of $473.38 million, and it pays a yield of 0.5%.br /br /First Citizens Bancorporation, Inc. (FCBN) is the holding company for First Citizen Bank and Trust Company. The stock has a market cap of $361.68 million, a PE of 6, and it pays a yield of 0.3%.br /br /World Acceptance Corporation (WRLD) is a finance company. Its services include small loans and credit insurance products. The stock has a market cap of $438.39 million; it has a PE of 8, and a PEG of 0.53.br /br /SCBT Financial (SCBT) renders retails services and commercial banking services through its subsidiaries. The stock has a market cap of $340.64 million, a PE of 14, a PEG of 1.38, and it pays a dividend of 2.1%.br /br /First Financials Holdings, Inc. (FFCH) is the holding company of First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Charleston. The stock has a market cap of $244.29 million, a PE of 11, a PEG of 1.18, and it pays a yield of 5.1%.br /br /Don't forget to check out the stocks from the states of a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/wisconsin-stocks.html"Wisconsin/a, a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/louisiana-stocks.html"Louisiana/a, a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/michigan-stocks.html"Michigan/a, and a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/kentucky-stocks.html"Kentucky/a. br /br /iAuthor does not own any of the above./ibr /br /By a href="http://Stockerblog.com"Stockerblog.com/adiv class="blogger-post-footer"div class='adsense' style='text-align:center; padding: 0px 3px 0.5em 3px;' script type="text/javascript"!-- google_ad_client="ca-pub-2427831169011625"; google_ad_width=300; google_ad_height=250; google_ad_format="300x250_as"; google_ad_type="text"; google_ad_channel ="8681602088"; google_color_border="FFF3DB"; google_color_bg="FFF3DB"; google_color_link="1B0431"; google_color_url="1B0431"; google_color_text="29303B"; //--/script script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" /script /div

Debt Free Stocks Selling At or Near Cash

Fred Fuld — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:37:00 +0000

If a stock is trading at the amount of cash it has, it is a pretty good buy. And if the company is debt free, it would seem that there is almost no downside. a href="http://WallStreetNewsNetwork.com"WallStreetNewsNetwork.com/a came up with over a dozen stocks that are trading at or near cash, as measured by the Price to Cash Ratio, all with market caps over $500 million, and all without any debt. br /br /For example, optionsXpress Holdings, Inc. (OXPS) has no dept, trades for around 11.50 per share, and has $9 per share in cash. Not only that, they have a forward yield of 7.5 and pay a yield of 2.5%.br /br /Another example is KBR, Inc. (KBR), another no debt company, which trades for 9.86 per share with 6.87 in cash per share. The have a forward PE of 5.5 and pay a yield of 1.7%.br /br /It's nice to find debt free companies with very reasonable ratios. The rest of the a href="http://WallStreetNewsNetwork.com"debt free stocks selling at or near cash/a can be four at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.br /span style="font-style:italic;"br /Author does not own any of the above./spanbr /br /By a href="http://Stockerblog.com"Stockerblog.com/adiv class="blogger-post-footer"div class='adsense' style='text-align:center; padding: 0px 3px 0.5em 3px;' script type="text/javascript"!-- google_ad_client="ca-pub-2427831169011625"; google_ad_width=300; google_ad_height=250; google_ad_format="300x250_as"; google_ad_type="text"; google_ad_channel ="8681602088"; google_color_border="FFF3DB"; google_color_bg="FFF3DB"; google_color_link="1B0431"; google_color_url="1B0431"; google_color_text="29303B"; //--/script script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" /script /div

Mississippi Stocks

Fred Fuld — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:26:00 +0000

Until 1990, gambling in Mississippi was not permitted. Now it is a major source of revenue for the state and an attractive tourist attraction. Following are some interesting facts about Mississippi:
1. 25% of total employment is generated by the agriculture industry.
2. Mississippi most important agricultural products are poultry and eggs, forestry, soybeans and corn.
3. The state offers different business incentives to new businesses and businesses relocating to Mississippi. They include tax credits, and tax exemptions.
4. The top manufactured products are processed foods, beverages, dairy and grain products.
5. Between 2004 and 2005 Mississippi’s export increased by 26% to achieve a record $4 billion.
6. Mississippi’s top export are chemical products.
7. Manufacturing firms employ 172,000 workers in the state.
8. Mississippi’s oil reserves rank it number 13 out of 50 states, with 167 million barrels of oil.
9. Mississippi has the lowest cost of living of all states.
10. In 2006 the total state product was $84 billion.

The following companies are headquartered in Mississippi:

BacorpSouth, Inc. (BX) is a financial institution, providing services to individuals and businesses in several states. The stock has a market cap of $2.11 billion, a PE of 15, a PEG of 1.93, and it pays a yield of 3.6%.

Hancock Holding Company (HBHC) is a financial institution. It services include banking, and lending. The stock has a market cap of $1.49 billion, a PE of 20, a PEG of 1.78, and it pays a yield of 2.1%.

Trustmark Corporation (TRMK) is a financial company. Its services include banking and financial services for individuals, institutions and corporations. The stock has a market cap of $1.19 billion, a PE of 12, a PEG of 1.33, and it pays a yield of 4.4%.

EastGroup Properties, Inc. (EGP) is a real estate company. It purchases and develops properties throughout the United States. The stock has a market cap of $905.92 million, a PE of 27, a PEG of 1.17 and it pays a yield of 5.9%.

Sanderson Farms, Inc. (SAFM) is a poultry processing company. The stock has a market cap of $672.82 million, a PE of 21, a PEG of 9.13, and it pays a yield of 1.6%.

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. (CALM) is in the business of producing and packaging shell eggs. The stock has a market cap of $668.23 million, a PE of 5, and it pays a yield of 2.5%.

Renasant Corporation (RNST) is a financial and insurance company. Its clients are retail and commercial businesses. The stock has a market cap of $416.98 million, a PE of 13, a PEG of 1.56, and it pays a yield of 3.4%.

Parkway Properties, Inc. (PKY) is a real estate company, it purchases, manages and rents office space. The stock has a market cap of $312.90 million, a PEG of 1.25, and it pays a yield of 12.4%.

Callon Petroleum Company (CPE) is an oil and gas exploration company. The stock has a market cap of $237.19 million, a PE of 12, and a PEG of 0.77.

Peoples Financial Corporation (PFBX) is a financial institution providing banking services in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $103.78 million, a PE of 17, and it pays a yield of 2.8%.

Don't forget to check out the stocks from the states of Wisconsin, Louisiana, Michigan, and Kentucky.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Georgia Stocks

Fred Fuld — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 02:24:00 +0000

As one of the states with the largest manufacturing industries in the country, it is no mystery as to why Georgia ranks as one of the top consumers of energy. Some interesting facts on what is the world 28th largest economy follow:

1. The travel industry contributes around $20 billion a year to the state economy.
2. Georgia’s bioscience industry generates 15,000 jobs.
3. Over 250 bioscience companies are headquartered in the state.
4. The Georgia paper industry is second only to Alabama, and it employs 26,000 workers.
5. The state has the largest commercial forest in the country, which produce over $19 billion in revenue and employ more than 150,000 people.
6. The food processing industry generates more than 70,000 jobs, and produces sales receipt of over $16 billion a year.
7. The largest manufacturing employer is the textile-carpet industry which employs over 100,000 workers and produces more than $2.5 billion in revenue annually.
8. There are over 700 textile companies headquartered in Georgia.
9. The mining industry of non fuel minerals produces $1.8 billion in income, and it employs over 9,000 workers.
10. Georgia’s clay production amounts to 24% of total U.S. production

The following companies are headquartered in Georgia:

The Coca-Cola Company (KO) makes, delivers and sells non alcoholic beverages around the globe. The stock has a market cap of $102.17 billion, a PE of 18, a PEG of 1.61, and it pays a yield of 3.4%.

United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) is a parcel delivery firm, and it operates worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $50.95 billion, a PE of 247, a PEG of 1.36, and it pays a yield of 3.5%.

Home Depot, Inc. (HD) is a retailer of home improvement products in North America. The stock has a market cap of $34.33 billion, a PE of 10, a PEG of 1.06, and it pays a yield of 4.5%.

Southern Company (SO) produces and markets electricity in the south. The stock has a market cap of $25.79 billion. A PE of 15, a PEG of 2.74, and it pays a dividend of 5.2%.

Aflac Incorporated (AFL) is a life and health insurance company in the United States and Japan. The stock has a market cap of $20.54 billion, a PE of 12, a PEG of 0.74, and it pays a yield of 2.3%.

SunTrust Banks, Inc (STI) is a financial institution providing services to individuals and businesses in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $14.81 billion, a PE of 12, a PEG of 2.49, and it pays a yield of 7%.

Invesco Ltd. (IVZ) is an investment management company providing management services in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $5.67 billion, a PE of 9, and it pays a yield of 1.4%.

Oca Cola Enterprises, Inc. (CCE) makes, distributes and sells nonalcoholic drinks. The stock has a market cap of $5.45 billion, a PEG of 1.27 and it pays a yield of 2.5%.

Genuine Parts Company (GPC) is a distributor of industrial and automobile parts in North America. The stock has a market cap of $5.48 billion, a PE of 11, a PEG of 1.30, and it pays a yield of 5.0%.

Intercontinental Exchange Inc. (ICE) is an online marketplace for the trading of securities and commodities. The stock has a market cap of $5.49 billion, a PE of 19, and a PEG of 0.67.

Don't forget to check out the stocks from the states of Wisconsin, Louisiana, Michigan, and Kentucky.

Author owns UPS.

By Stockerblog.com

No Debt Low Price to Cash Flow Stocks

Fred Fuld — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 06:01:00 +0000

If you are looking for stocks that are 'safe', the first thing that most investors, and traders, look at is how much debt the company has. The debt free get a lot of focus. One of the other metrics worth looking at are stocks with a low Price to Cash Flow ratio.

Why is cash flow more important than earnings or net income? It gives a more realistic idea about the amount of actual funds that are coming in to the company. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has discovered seven debt free stocks with Price to Cash Flows below 5 and PE ratios below 9. They all have market caps over $500 million.

One of the stocks is Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (TTWO), with a Price to Cash Flow ratio of 3.1 and a PE ratio of 8. This publisher and distributor of interactive software games was upgraded a couple months ago by Cowen & Co. The stock has a PE ratio of 0.45.

Another stock without any debt and a low Price to Cash Flow ratio, of 3.98, is Garmin Ltd. (GRMN), The maker and marketer of global positioning system products. They just reported lower third quarter profits. The stock has a PE of 5, a PEG of 0.38, and pays a yield of 4%.

The rest of the stocks can be found in a downloadable Excel database at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, and can be sorted and added to.

If you like high yield stocks, check out Yields Over 9% on Quarterly Dividend Stocks.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Earnings for Perfect World (PWRD) and Energy Conversion Devices (ENER) Both Solid

Trader Mark — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:45:00 +0000

Although we are now in a time when fundamentals mean nothing, I'm still following along to see how companies are doing so when an era of rationality returns and the casino action abates we know what stocks we want to be back in. I sold both Perfect World (PWRD) and Energy [...]

Yields Over 9% on Quarterly Dividend Stocks

Fred Fuld — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 06:29:00 +0000

There are actually a few advantages of owning quarterly dividend stocks over monthly dividend stocks. First, there are over 2,000 different quarterly dividend stocks to choose from, versus a few hundred monthly dividend stocks. Second, there are far more quarterly stocks to choose from, whereas most of the monthly dividend companies are either closed end funds, oil income trusts, or real estate trusts. Third, for smaller diversified portfolios, monthly dividends may be very small, and it may be more convenient to have a larger quarterly check on each stock. According to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are over a hundred quarterly dividend stocks paying more than 5% with market caps over $500 million, PE ratios below 20, and PEG ratios below 2.

Here are several of the highest yielding quarterly dividend stocks. Please note that some of the extremely high yields may not be sustainable.

Copano Energy, L.L.C. (CPNO) pays a yield of 10.4% . The stock has a PE of 14.8 and a PEG of 1.43 .

AllianceBernstein Holding LP (AB) pays a yield of 10.2% . The stock has a PE of 6.5 and a PEG of 0.65 .

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE) pays a yield of 10.1% . The stock has a PE of 18.4 and a PEG of 1.49 .

Penn Virginia Resources (PVR) pays a yield of 10.0% . The stock has a PE of 18.3 and a PEG of 1.83 .

TAL International Group, Inc. (TAL) pays a yield of 10.0% . The stock has a PE of 12.5 and a PEG of 0.89 .

Lincoln National Corporation (LNC) pays a yield of 9.6% . The stock has a PE of 5.8 and a PEG of 0.58 .

Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (SPH) pays a yield of 9.5% . The stock has a PE of 12.6 and a PEG of 1.26 .

Colonial BancGroup, Inc. (CNB) pays a yield of 9.4% . The stock has a PE of 6.6 and a PEG of 0.78 .

Inergy Holdings, L.P. (NRGP) pays a yield of 9.2% . The stock has a PE of 15.5 and a PEG of 1.55 .

Embarq Corporation (EQ) pays a yield of 9.2% . The stock has a PE of 5.9 and a PEG of 1.96 .

A downloadable Excel database of the stocks with high yields that pay dividends quarterly can be found at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, which can be changed, added to, and updated.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

ETFI Global Railroad PerformIdex: Stock Prices Adjust to Lower Volumes

ETF Innovators — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 17:24:00 +0000

ETFI Global Railroad PerformIdex: Stock Prices Adjust to Lower Volumes The ETFI Global Railroad PerformIdex includes 41 companies with market caps over $200M and is structured as a market cap weighted index, with a total return of -12.7% over the past year, as compared to a decline of 20.7% for IYT in the [...]

Below Book High Yield Stocks Over 5%

Fred Fuld — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 06:26:00 +0000

When looking for high yield investments, it is important to consider the safety and security of the company, not just the high dividend payout. One metric to look at is the Price to Book Ratio, which is the price of the stock in relation to the neto worth of the stock, in other words, what each share would be worth if all the company assets were sold off, all the debts paid off, and what is left over divided by the number of shares outstanding. The lower the Price to Book Ratio, the better the buy. If the ratio is less than one, the shareholder would receive more for their shares are trading at if the company immediately went out of business and sold everything off.

Obviously, the book value can be nebulous in many circumstances, especially with companies that own a lot of real estate, but the ratio can still be used as a good comparison indicator. According to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are over 35 stocks with market caps over $500 million, yields above 5%, and price to book value ratios less than one. They also have PE ratios less than 20 and PEG ratios less than 1. [Many of the very high yield stocks have yields that are tenuous.] Here are ten of those stocks.

ProLogis ( PLD ) The company pays a yield of 14.8% and has a Price to Book Value of 0.51 . The stock has a PE of 7 and a PEG of 0.91 .

Protective Life Corp. ( PL ) The company pays a yield of 11.3% and has a Price to Book Value of 0.28 . The stock has a PE of 3 and a PEG of 0.31 .

Lincoln National Corporation ( LNC ) The company pays a yield of 9.6% and has a Price to Book Value of 0.46 . The stock has a PE of 6 and a PEG of 0.58 .

Colonial BancGroup, Inc. ( CNB ) The company pays a yield of 9.4% and has a Price to Book Value of 0.34 . The stock has a PE of 7 and a PEG of 0.78 .

Genworth Financial, Inc. ( GNW ) The company pays a yield of 8.3% and has a Price to Book Value of 0.17 . The stock has a PE of 4 and a PEG of 0.44 .

ArcelorMittal ( MT ) The company pays a yield of 5.7% and has a Price to Book Value of 0.58 . The stock has a PE of 3 and a PEG of 0.35 .

Ternium S.A. ( TX ) The company pays a yield of 5.7% and has a Price to Book Value of 0.33 . The stock has a PE of 2 and a PEG of 0.35 .

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. ( RCL ) The company pays a yield of 5.5% and has a Price to Book Value of 0.41 . The stock has a PE of 5 and a PEG of 0.35 .

Teekay Corporation ( TK ) The company pays a yield of 5.4% and has a Price to Book Value of 0.55 . The stock has a PE of 11 and a PEG of 0.67 .

Oshkosh Corporation ( OSK ) The company pays a yield of 5.2% and has a Price to Book Value of 0.38 . The stock has a PE of 5 and a PEG of 0.24 .

A downloadable Excel database of the stocks with high yields that are selling below book value can be found at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, which can be changed, added to, and updated.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Florida Stocks: A Politically and Economically Important State

Fred Fuld — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 07:34:00 +0000

Florida was a turning point in the presidential election four years ago. This year, it wasn't as significant politically but it is significant from an economic standpoint. Florida is one of those places you visit for pleasure and stay for business. Beautiful beaches and tropical weather attract tourists from all over the world, and the state’s low cost of living, and business friendly policies keep them there. Actually over 1,000 people relocate to Florida daily. Some interesting facts about Florida are:

1. Florida residents spend less on energy than any other state in the country.
2. Florida is the top travel destination in the world, with a total of 77 billion visitors in 2004.
3. The aerospace industry of Florida generates 23,000 jobs.
4. Florida produces about 40% of total world supply of orange juice.
5. Florida is the number 4 producer of nonfuel minerals in the country. Generating more than 9,000 jobs.
6. The state is the top producer of phosphate in the nation.
7. Florida has no state income tax.
8. Limited partnerships and S-corporations are exempt of income tax.
9. The state does not impose a property tax.
10. Florida is the 15th largest economy in the world.

The following companies are headquartered in Florida:

Publix Super Markets, Inc. (PUSH.OB) is a retail supermarket chain in the state of Florida. The stock has a market cap of $102.37 billion, a PE of 87, and it pays a yield of 0.4%.

Carnival Corporation (CCL) is a cruise, hotel and vacation company, with property around the world. The stock has a market cap of $23.26 billion, a PE of 10, a PEG of 0.88, and it pays a yield of 5.8%.

CSX Corporation (CSX) is a transportation company. It provides rail services in North America. The stock has a market cap of $17.07 billion, a PE of 12, a PEG of 0.68, and it pays a yield of 2.1%.

FPL Group, Inc. (FPL) produces and sells electricity in the state of Florida. The stock has a market cap of $17.08 billion, a PE of 14, a PEG of 0.98, and it pays a yield of 4.7%.

Harris Corporation, (HRS) is a communications company. Its customers include government, and broadcast networks. The stock has a market cap of $4.78 billion, a PE of 11, a PEG of 0.51, and it pays a yield of 2.4%.

Republic Services, Inc. (RSG) is a waste collection company. Its services include commercial, industrial and residential services throughout the United States. The stock has a market cap of $4.05 billion, a PE of 16, a PEG of 1.11, and it pays a yield of 3.5%.

Roper Industries, Inc. (ROP) is an energy systems developer. It produces scientific and industrial products and software. The stock has a market cap of $3.83 billion, a PE of 14, a PEG of 0.86, and it pays a yield of 0.7%.

Citrix Systems, Inc. (CTXS) is a developer and seller of software solutions. The stock has a market cap of $3.83 billion, a PE of 21, and a PEG of 0.93.

Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. (RCL) is a cruise company that operates worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $4.03 billion, a PE of 6, a PEG of 0.58, and it pays a yield of 3.5%.

Regency Centers Corporation (REG) is a real estate investment company. The stock has a market cap of $2.91 billion, a PE of 20, a PEG of 1.34, and it pays a divided of 7.0%.

Don't forget to check out the stocks from the states of Wisconsin, Louisiana, Michigan, and Kentucky.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Highest Yielding Stocks Going Ex Dividend End of November

Fred Fuld — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 23:25:00 +0000

Investors occasionally use a stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends,' which is the technique 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.

If you are interested in buying dividends, there are many stocks in many different industries to choose from. 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.

All of the following stocks have market caps over $500 million, and yield over 2%.

Nordic American Tanker Shipping Limited ( NAT ) The stock is going ex-dividend on 11/18/2008 and pays a yield of 13.7% . The stock has a PE of 15 .

Thomson Reuters PLC ( TRIN ) The stock is going ex-dividend on 11/18/2008 and pays a yield of 5.5% . The stock has a PE of 6.

Sonoco Products Company ( SON ) The stock is going ex-dividend on 11/19/2008 and pays a yield of 4.8% . The stock has a PE of 13 .

Thomson Reuters Corporation ( TRI ) The stock is going ex-dividend on 11/19/2008 and pays a yield of 4.1% . The stock has a PE of 25 .

Liz Claiborne, Inc. ( LIZ ) The stock is going ex-dividend on 11/19/2008 and pays a yield of 3.1% . The stock has a forward PE of 7 .

Parker-Hannifin Corporation ( PH ) The stock is going ex-dividend on 11/18/2008 and pays a yield of 2.6% . The stock has a PE of 6 .

Cummins Inc. ( CMI ) The stock is going ex-dividend on 11/19/2008 and pays a yield of 2.4% . The stock has a PE of 5 .

For more details on dividend definitions, check out definitions of dividend dates. If you like dividend stocks, you should check out the the High Yield Utility stocks and the Monthly Dividend Stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Southern Copper (NYSE:PCU): Downgraded to Sell, $10 tgt at Deutsche Bank

Notable Calls — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:05:00 +0000

Deutsche Bank is out with a groovy downgrade on Southern Copper (NYSE:PCU) to Sell from Hold. According to the firm, the downgrade is based mainly on valuation and the stock's impressive rally - PCU has gained 70% in 6 trading days since hitting a low of US$9.84/share on October 27th compared with a gain of 18% for the S&P500 (and a 39% rally for competitor Freeport-McMoRan and a 14% move in LME copper prices). DB's Price Target of US$10/share continues to be based on 9x 2009E EPS of US$1.08 and, with PCU's stock at US$16.77/share, PCU trades at a rich 2009E PE of 15.5x, or ~2x the multiple of its peer group (7.3x).

Notablecalls: PCU has had a nice run since that Actionable call from Citigroup last week. I feel the stock needs a breather and DB's downgrade will bring just that. I see it coming back towards sub-$15 level in the n-t.

High Cash, No Debt, High Yield Stocks

Fred Fuld — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 07:08:00 +0000

If you are looking for the perfect stock, these days you might ignore the PE ratios and the PEG ratios, and look for stocks with large amounts of cash, no debt, and pay a high dividend. These types of stocks are considered to be the best ones to weather a severe recession. According to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are 35 stocks that are debt free, with plenty of cash, and dividend yields between 1% and 18.5%.

Biovail Corp ( BVF ) is a pharmaceutical company which develops treatments for central nervous system disorders, pain management, and cardiovascular diseases. They currently have 354.1 million in cash, giving them $2.23 in cash per share. The stock has a forward PE of 7.1 and pays a yield of 18.5 %.

Terra Nitrogen Co. ( TNH ) produces and markets nitrogen fertilizer products . They currently have 190.1 million in cash, giving them $10.18 in cash per share. The stock has a PE of 5.5 and pays a yield of 14.9 %.

Mahanagar Telephone Nigam ( MTE ) is a provider of fixed-line and other telecommunications services in Delhi and Mumbai, India. They currently have 704.9 million in cash, giving them $2.24 in cash per share. The stock has a forward PE of 10.17 and pays a yield of 9.4 %.

Maxim Integrated Products ( MXIM ) makes and sells linear and mixed-signal integrated circuits. They currently have 1.218 billion in cash, giving them $3.80 in cash per share. The stock has a forward PE of 11.36 and pays a yield of 6.5 %.

Lorillard ( LO ) makes and markets cigarettes in the United States. They currently have 1.208 billion in cash, giving them $7.11 in cash per share. The stock has a forward PE of 11.66 and pays a yield of 5.8 %.

Grupo Aeroportuario Del Sureste ( ASR ) is an operator of airports in Mexico. They currently have 136.0 million in cash, giving them $4.54 in cash per share. The stock has a forward PE of 9.31 and pays a yield of 5.8 %.

Cohn & Steers ( CNS ) is a manager of high-income equity portfolios and provider of investment banking services. They currently have 200.4 million in cash, giving them $4.82 in cash per share. The stock has a forward PE of 15.9 and pays a yield of 5.7 %.

Gentex Cp ( GNTX ) makes and sells electro-optic products, automatic-dimming rearview mirrors, and fire protection products. They currently have 338.2 million in cash, giving them $2.41 in cash per share. The stock has a forward PE of 17.98 and pays a yield of 5 %.

Paychex Inc ( PAYX ) is a provider of payroll services, and integrated human resource and employee benefits outsourcing. They currently have 464.1 million in cash, giving them $1.29 in cash per share. The stock has a forward PE of 15.77 and pays a yield of 4.7 %.

Analog Devices ( ADI ) makes and sells analog, mixed-signal, and digital signal processing integrated circuits. They currently have 1.278 billion in cash, giving them $4.40 in cash per share. The stock has a forward PE of 11.85 and pays a yield of 3.8 %.

An Excel spreadsheet database of 35 high cash, no debt, high yield stocks can be found at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. If you like high yield stocks, you should also consider Tax Free Income Stocks, and Top Yielding Electric Utilities.

Author owns ASR.

By Stockerblog.com

Alabama Stocks

Fred Fuld — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 04:45:00 +0000

Although Alabama is best known as a cotton growing state, the state produces much more, from poultry to automobiles. As a matter of fact manufacturing accounts for more than half of the total income produced within the state. Some interesting facts about Alabama follow:
1. Alabama’s GDP of $160.6 billion is the 25th largest in the country.
2. The transportation, equipment and manufacturing industry employ over 30,000 workers.
3. The agribusiness sector provides the state with 21% (476,000) jobs.
4. The aerospace industry in Alabama has grown to provide $6 billion in revenue and employ over 139,000 workers.
5. The state offers several incentives to new businesses and businesses relocating to Alabama. The Income tax capital credit, and the property & sales tax abatements are just two of the most common.
6. With the second largest contiguous forest is in America, Alabama’s paper industry is a vital industry in the state economy.
7. More than 150 banks are headquartered in Alabama.
8. The tourism industry of Alabama employs over 160,000 individuals.
9. During 2006 tourists in Alabama spent over $8 billion in the state
10. Alabama produces approximately 2.13% of total nonfuel mineral production in the United States.

The following companies are headquartered in Alabama:

Regions Financial Corporation (RF) is the holding company of Regions Bank, a retail and commercial bank in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $7.4 billion, a PE of 7, a PEG of 1.29, and it pays a yield of 3.5%.

Vulcan Materials Company (VMC) makes construction materials in the United States and Mexico. The stock has a market cap of $6.12 billion, a PE of 16, a PEG of 2.17, and it pays a yield of 3.8%.

Energen Corporation (EGN) buys, develops and produces oil, and natural gas in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $2.15 billion, a PE of 7, a PEG of 0.65, and it pays a dividend of 1.6%.

ProAssurance Corporation (PRA) is a liability insurance corporation; its clients are physicians and other health care providers. The stock has a market cap of $1.65 billion, a PE of 10, and a PEG of 0.98.

Colonia BankGroup, Inc. (CNB) is a commercial banking company, it offers mortgages and insurance services in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $1.59 billion, a PE of 14, a PEG of 11.70, and it pays a yield of 4.6%.

Health South Corporation (HLS) provides patient rehabilitation services in hospitals throughout the United States. The stock has a market cap of $1.06 billion, a PE of 4, and a PEG of 0.90.

ADTRAN, Inc. (ADTN) provides network access solutions in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $969.15 million, a PE of 13, a PEG of 1.20, and it pays a yield of 2.2%.

Protective Life Corporation (PL) is in the business of administrating insurance and investment services in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $839.97 million, a PE of 4, a PEG of 0.36, and it pays a yield of 8.1%.

Avocent Corporation (AVCT) produces, and markets hardware and software products worldwide. Its products include management software among others. The stock has a market cap of $661.17 million, a PE of 21, and a PEG of 0.59.

Infinity Property and Casualty Corporation (IPCC) is an insurance company that provides automobile insurance for individuals, commercial and industrial customers. The stock has a market cap of $611.21 million, a PE of 11, a PEG of 1.48, and it pays a yield of 1.1%.

Don't forget to check out the stocks from the states of Wisconsin, Louisiana, Michigan, and Kentucky.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Top Yielding Gas Utility Stocks

Fred Fuld — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 05:44:00 +0000

The one bill that consumers will do everything they can to pay is their utility bill. Most people can't do without their electricity or natural gas. I previously wrote about the high yielding electric utilities; here is a list of the top natural gas utilities with high yields.

Amerigas Partners ( APU ) is a a retail propane distributor structured as a limited partnership. The stock has a forward PE of 10.9 and a yield of 8.6% .

National Grid Plc ( NGG ) is a London based company which has a gas national transmission system in Great Britain and also distributes electricity. The stock has a forward PE of 11.5 and a yield of 7.1% .

Atmos Energy Cp ( ATO ) is a Dallas based distributor of natural . The stock has a forward PE of 11.0 and a yield of 5.8% .

Oneok Inc ( OKE ) is a Tulsa, Oklahoma based transporter and distributor of natural gas. The stock has a forward PE of 8.7 and a yield of 5.3% .

WGL Holdings Inc ( WGL ) based in Washington, DC, distributes and markets natural gas. The stock has a forward PE of 12.5 and a yield of 5.0% .

Transcanada Corp ( TRP ) is a Calgary, Alberta company which operates natural gas pipelines The stock has a forward PE of 12.7 and a yield of 4.8% .

Nicor Inc ( GAS ) based in Illinois, distributes natural gas. The stock has a forward PE of 17.0 and a yield of 4.2% .

Chesapeake Utilities ( CPK ) is a Delaware based distributor and marketer of natural gas. The stock has a forward PE of 14.3 and a yield of 3.9% .

Southwest Gas Cp ( SWX ) is a Las Vegas, Nevada based distributor and marketer of natural gas. The stock has a forward PE of 11.6 and a yield of 3.6% .

Natl Fuel Gas Co ( NFG ) is a New York based operator of natural gas transportation services. The stock has a forward PE of 11.3 and a yield of 3.6% .

You can find a downloadable Excel spreadsheet database of all the high yield natural gas utilities at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, which can be changed, updated, and sorted.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Top Yielding Electric Utilities over 6%

Fred Fuld — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 04:13:00 +0000

When the stock market is volatile and in recessionary times, investors often turn to electric utilities as investments. The advantages are the high income, less volatility than other stocks, they are monopolies, they provide a product that everyone requires, and during a recession when people are cutting back, one of the last things they cut back on are their electric bills.

The following electric utility stocks all have yields over 6%, PE ratios below 18, and PEG ratios below 3.

Great Plains Energy Incorporated ( GXP ) is a Kansas City based generator of electricity from coal, nuclear, natural gas, oil, and wind. It pays a yield of 8.70% , and has a PE of 10 and a PEG of 1.42 .

Ameren Corporation ( AEE ) is a utility that serves Missouri and Illinois. It pays a yield of 8.10% , and has a PE of 9 and a PEG of 2.54 .

Constellation Energy Group, Inc. ( CEG ) is a Baltimore based utility which operates fossil fuel, nuclear, and renewable energy generating facilities It pays a yield of 7.70% , and has a PE of 5 and a PEG of 0.26 .

The Empire District Electric Company ( EDE ) provides electricity to Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. It pays a yield of 6.80% , and has a PE of 17 and a PEG of 2.18 .

Pinnacle West Capital Corporation ( PNW ) is a Phoenix, Arizona based utility. It pays a yield of 6.60% , and has a PE of 9 and a PEG of 2.84 .

CenterPoint Energy, Inc. ( CNP ) is a Houston, Texas based utility. It pays a yield of 6.60% , and has a PE of 9 and a PEG of 0.51 .

Progress Energy, Inc. ( PGN ) provides electricity in North Carolina, South Carolina, and west central Florida. It pays a yield of 6.50% , and has a PE of 11 and a PEG of 2.01 .

Westar Energy, Inc. ( WR ) is a Topeka, Kansas based utility. It pays a yield of 6.30% , and has a PE of 10 and a PEG of 2.97 .

DTE Energy Company ( DTE ) is a Detroit, Michigan based utility. It pays a yield of 6.10% , and has a PE of 8 and a PEG of 1.89 .

Integrys Energy Group, Inc. ( TEG ) is a Chicago, Illinois based utility which uses coal, natural gas, fuel oil, hydroelectric, nuclear, and wind sources to generate electricity. It pays a yield of 6.00% , and has a PE of 12 and a PEG of 1.36 .

If you want to download an Excel spreadsheet database which lists all the high yielding electric utilities that you can add to and sort, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Author owns PGN.

By Stockerblog.com

Highest Yielding Income Partnership Stocks over 8%

Fred Fuld — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 04:47:00 +0000

Income partnerships, generally known as Master Limited Partnerships or MLP's or US Income Partnerships, are investments that are similar to income royalty trusts, except that they are structured as limited partnerships. MLP's have certain advantages over regular stocks with high dividends. There is no double taxation because the income is passed through without being taxed at the corporate level. Also, they can pass through tax deductions. However, there are a couple issues you should be aware of, that make them different from income trusts.

For example, income partnerships don't send out 1099 forms, they send out a Schedule K-1 Form, and the income is reported on your tax return differently from regular dividends. In addition, you should never, ever put an MLP into a retirement plan because of the UBTI or Unrelated Business Taxable Income problem, which could put the tax deferred status of your retirement plan in jeopardy, based on what I understand. MLP closed end funds should not be a problem. However, since I am not an accountant, please discuss MLP's with your accountant or CPA for clarification, before investing in MLPs.

Most MLP's are generally involved in pipeline businesses, usually oil and gas, and usually have very high dividends. Here are some with some high yields.

Terra Nitrogen Company, L.P. (TNH) a Sioux City, Iowa based company producer and distributor of nitrogen fertilizer products, has a yield of over 16.9%. They distribute anhydrous ammonia and urea ammonium nitrate solutions. This New York Stock Exchange company has a P/E of 6.

Atlas Pipeline Partners LP (APL) is a Pennsylvania based company natural gas distributor with approximately 7,900 miles of intrastate gas gathering pipelines, that yields 16.5%. They have a forward P/E of 7 and a PEG of 2.56.

Rio Vista Energy Partners LP (RVEP), a producer of oil and natural gas, yields 16%. Earnings have recently been negative.

Teekay LNG Partners LP. (TGP) is a marine transportation company which yields 15%. They transport liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, and crude oil. The stock has a forward PE of 9 and a PEG of 1.99.

Ferrellgas Partners LP (FGP), the propane distribution company, has a yield of 12.3%. This Overland Park, Kansas company distributes gas throughout the US. The stock has a P/E of 40 and a PEG of 2.88.

Another high yield partnership is Energy Transfer Partners L.P. (ETP) which has a payout of 9.8%. The company is in the business of transporting and storing natural gas through its pipelines. The stock, which trades on the NYSE, has a P/E of 9.

You can find an Excel spreadsheet list of over a dozen master limited partnerships, which can be downloaded, sorted, added to and changed, at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Amgen Exceeds Expectations, Again

ETF Innovators — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 13:26:00 +0000

Amgen Exceeds Expectations, Again Shares of Amgen (AMGN) have moved into the green in after-hours trading following a late-day Wall Street sell-off that had the Dow tanking by over 500 points. As I wrote earlier today, Amgen was able to both exceed profit and sales expectations for 3Q08 and raise its [...]

Mosaic (NYSE:MOS): Mosaic Company Extreme Oversold Condition Changing Rating from Sell to Strong Buy with $60 Price Target – SISR

Notable Calls — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:09:00 +0000

Strategic International Securities Research (SISR) is upgrading Mosaic (NYSE:MOS) to Strong Buy from Sell with a $60 price tgt (from $33). Firm is reversing their Sell rating on the stock to adding it to their recommended list.

Firm notes they are looking for current quarterly earnings to come in at $2.18, and full year estimate of $10.63 on revenues of $16.2 Billion. They believe that there will be a period of readjustment for Mosaic with both price declines and output reduced. Mosaic and the industry however are very effective at holding prices up by reducing output. SISR expects this to be the pattern for the coming months and even year or so as the price of these commodities adjusts to the international condition of a worldwide slowdown. Their projections are that output will be reduced by about 10% with prices declining by 20% to 30% over the next year. Given that price have increased by more than 400% this decline is relative by comparison.

Firm feels that given a historical PE of 12 for the industry their target is rather conservative with consensus currently being at $11.26 for 2009.

It is too early to make an extended forecasts but it is likely that just as on the upside this stock was overvalued, they believe it is currently undervalued.

Notablecalls: I bet most of you have never heard of Strategic International Securities Research (SISR) or their analyst Philip Miller covering Mosaic.

Yet, among the inst. side of the business, SISR carries weight. Why?

Just take a look at their recent track in MOS. They have played it almost perfectly:

These guys don't publish much. But when they do, you better take note.

Highest Yielding Big Pharma Stocks

Fred Fuld — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 05:33:00 +0000

Investors turn to the large drug company stocks for several reasons. They are considered recession proof, they are a play on the ageing of the baby boomers, and they are often considered safer and less volatile than most other stocks. Since dividends are so vital to many investors they days, the high yielding big pharmas are of interest. All of the following have yields over 2.5%, PE's below 20, and PEGs below 3.

Pfizer Inc. (PFE) Its drugs include Lipitor, Norvasc Caduet, Chantix/Champix, Lyrica, Geodon/Zeldox, Aricept, Zoloft, Celebrex, Vfend, Zyvox, Viagra, Detrol, and Zyrtec, and for animals; Clavamox/Synulox, RespiSureOne/StellamuneOne, Bovi-Shield Gold, Dectomax, and Draxxin. The stock yields 7.5% It has a PE of 12.7 and a PEG of 2.12 .

Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (BMY) Its drugs include PLAVIX, AVAPRO/AVALIDE, PRAVACHOL, COUMADIN, REYATAZ, SUSTIVA, BARACLUDE, ERBITUX, TAXOL, SPRYCEL, IXEMPRA, ABILIFY, ORENCIA, and EFFERALGAN. The stock yields 7.2% It has a PE of 16.3 and a PEG of 1.54 .

GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) Its drugs include Seretide/Advair, Avandia, Lamictal, Wellbutrin, Zofran, Valtrex, Coreg, Imigran/Imitrex, Augmentin, Seroxat/Paxil, and Flixotide/Flovent. The stock yields 5.5% It has a PE of 11.9 and a PEG of 1.99 .

Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY) Its drugs include Zyprexa, Cymbalta, Strattera, Prozac, Symbyax, Humalog, Actos, Byetta, Evista, Forteo, Gemzar, Alimta and Cialis. The stock yields 5.5% It has a PE of 9.9 and a PEG of 1.39 .

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Its drugs include Singulair, Cozaar, Hyzaar, Vasotec, and Vaseretic, Fosamax, Zocor, Cosopt, Trusopt, Primaxin, Cancidas, Januvia, Maxalt, and Proscar. The stock yields 5.4% It has a PE of 12.4 and a PEG of 2.48 .

Bayer AG (BAYRY.PK) Its drugs include the famous Bayer aspirin. The stock yields 3.8% It has a PE of 13.2 and a PEG of 1.26 .

Wyeth (WYE) Its drugs include neuroscience therapies, vaccines, musculoskeletal therapies, nutrition products, gastroenterology drugs, anti-infectives, oncology therapies, hemophilia treatments, and immunological products. The stock yields 3.5% It has a PE of 9.6 and a PEG of 2.48 .

Roche Holding Ltd. (RHHBY) Its drugs include Xenical, Valium, Zenapax, Valcyte, Bactrim, Tarceva, CellCept, and Boniva. The stock yields 3.3% It has a PE of 14.6 and a PEG of 1.91 .

Novartis AG (NVS) Its drugs include those for cardiovascular, metabolism, oncology, hematology, neuroscience; respiratory, infectious diseases, transplantation, immunology; ophthalmics, dermatology, gastrointestinal, urinary, arthritis and bones. The stock yields 3.2% It has a PE of 16.0 and a PEG of 2.34 .

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Its drugs include RISPERDAL, INVEGA, REMICADE, PROCRIT, TOPAMAX, LEVAQUIN and FLOXIN. There brands also include AVEENO, BAND-AID, CAREFREE, CLEAN & CLEAR, LISTERINE, MOTRIN IB, NEUTROGENA, RoC, PEPCID AC, REMBRANDT, SPLENDA, STAYFREE, SUDAFED, and TYLENOL. The stock yields 2.9% It has a PE of 14.4 and a PEG of 1.65 .

If you like high yield stocks, you should check out Top Yielding Debt Free Stocks, and Highest Yielding Electric Utilities. And if you like monthly dividend stocks, check out the list at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Author owns PFE and BAYRY.PK.

By Stockerblog.com

Stocks Going Ex Dividend Early November

Fred Fuld — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 06:02:00 +0000

In bull markets, investors sometimes use a stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends,' which is the technique of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at approximately the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend. This technique usually only works in bull markets.

If you are interested in buying dividends, there are several stocks in several different sectors and industries to choose from. 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 month.

All of the following stocks have market caps over $500 million, and yields over 3%.

NuStar GP Holdings, LLC (NSH) is going ex-dividend on 11/3/2008. The stock has a PE of 17 , a PEG of 1.51 and a yield of 8.40% .

Autoliv Inc. (ALV) is going ex-dividend on 11/4/2008. The stock has a PE of 5 , a PEG of 0.54 and a yield of 6.88% .

Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P. (EEP) is going ex-dividend on 11/4/2008. The stock has a PE of 13 , a PEG of 3.29 and a yield of 12.16% .

Penn Virginia Resources (PVR) is going ex-dividend on 11/4/2008 The stock has a PE of 14 , a PEG of 1.61 and a yield of 12.61% .

Penn Virginia GP Holdings, L.P. (PVG) is going ex-dividend on 11/4/2008. The stock has a PE of 18 , a PEG of 0.99 and a yield of 8.78% .

Alcoa Inc. (AA) is going ex-dividend on 11/5/2008. The stock has a PE of 6 , a PEG of 0.73 and a yield of 5.57% .

FirstEnergy Corp. (FE) is going ex-dividend on 11/5/2008. The stock has a PE of 12 , a PEG of 1.69 and a yield of 4.47% .

Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (MMP) is going ex-dividend on 11/5/2008. The stock has a PE of 10 , a PEG of 1.45 and a yield of 9.23% .

Inergy, L.P. (NRGY) is going ex-dividend on 11/5/2008. The stock has a PE of 28 , a PEG of 4.00 and a yield of 12.65% .

Overseas Shipholding Group Inc. (OSG) is going ex-dividend on 11/5/2008. The stock has a PE of 5 , a PEG of 0.28 and a yield of 4.09% .

Magellan Midstream Holdings, L.P. (MGG) is going ex-dividend on 11/5/2008. The stock has a PE of 13 , a PEG of 0.77 and a yield of 8.05% .

Sunoco, Inc. (SUN) is going ex-dividend on 11/6/2008. The stock has a PE of 13 , a PEG of 1.75 and a yield of 4.74% .

Fortune Brands, Inc. (FO) is going ex-dividend on 11/7/2008. The stock has a PE of 12 , a PEG of 1.25 and a yield of 4.43% .

For more details on dividend definitions, check out definitions of dividend dates. If you like dividend stocks, you should check out the the High Yield Utility stocks and the Monthly Dividend Stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Top Yielding Debt Free Stocks

Fred Fuld — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 03:35:00 +0000

With the extreme market volatility that has been taking place lately, investors are looking toward high yield stocks, so they have income coming in while waiting for their stocks to appreciate. In addition, investors prefer companies with no debt for additional safety. Combine those two features together, and look for the stocks with low PE ratios and low PEG ratios and you get the following list.

United Online, Inc. (UNTD) is an Internet and media services companies which owns the NetZero and Juno brands. The stock has a PE of 10 , a PEG ratio of 0.86 , and pays a yield of 9.84%.

Williams Pipeline Partners L.P. (WMZ) is a natural gas transportation and storage company. The stock has a PE of 2 , a PEG ratio of 0.24 , and pays a yield of 9.29%.

Pioneer Southwest Energy Partners L.P. (PSE) owns oil and gas properties. The stock has a PE of 5 , a PEG ratio of 0.68 , and pays a yield of 8.56%.

Starlims Technologies Limited (LIMS) creates and markets laboratory information management systems software solutions. The stock has a PE of 9 , a PEG ratio of 0.60 , and pays a yield of 7.17%.

NutriSystem Inc. (NTRI) is a provider of weight management and fitness products and services. The stock has a PE of 6 , a PEG ratio of 0.34 , and pays a yield of 5.86%.

Maxim Integrated Products Inc. (MXIM) makes and sells linear and mixed-signal integrated circuits. The stock has a PE of 14 , a PEG ratio of 0.92 , and pays a yield of 5.71%.

Electro Rent Corporation (ELRC) rents, leases, and sells electronic equipment. The stock has a PE of 15 , a PEG ratio of 0.99 , and pays a yield of 5.22%.

Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. (PTEN) is a provider of onshore contract drilling services. The stock has a PE of 6 , a PEG ratio of 0.57 , and pays a yield of 5.10%.

Christopher & Banks Corporation (CBK) designs and markets women's apparel. The stock has a PE of 12 , a PEG ratio of 0.88 , and pays a yield of 4.67%.

Safety Insurance Group, Inc. (SAFT) is a provider of automobile insurance in Massachusetts. The stock has a PE of 7 , a PEG ratio of 0.49 , and pays a yield of 4.36%.

If you like high yield stocks, you should check out the the High Yield Utility stocks and the Monthly Dividend Stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. You should also take a look at Top Yielding Defense and Aerospace Stocks.

Author owns UNTD.

By Stockerblog.com

Wisconsin Stocks

Fred Fuld — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:34:00 +0000

Wisconsin is a popular tourist destination. The most visited places within the state are: The Wisconsin Dells, House on The Rock, and the Circus World Museum. Some interesting facts about Wisconsin follow:

1. Wisconsin’s largest forest product is papermaking, and it employs more than 100,000 people.
2. Gravel and construction sand represent 80% of Wisconsin’s nonfuel mineral production.
3. Wisconsin’s top agricultural products are dairy beef and calves, and corn
4. Workers in the papermaking industry of Wisconsin are the highest paid within the manufacturing industry.
5. Wisconsin tourism industry employs 177,000 workers and generated about $6 billion in revenue.
6. Wisconsin’s major exporter industries are the computer, machinery, and the transportation.
7. Wisconsin’s main exports go to Canada, Japan, and Mexico.
8. One of the largest ore bodies of zinc copper is located in Wisconsin.
9. Wisconsin offers property tax exemptions for certain manufacturing companies.
10. Business taxes in Wisconsin are among the 15 lowest in the country.

The following companies are headquartered in Wisconsin:

Johnson Controls, Inc. (JCI) develops and sells energy saving technologies, among other services. The stock has a market cap of $12.37 billion, a PE of 9, a PEG of 0.73, and it pays a yield of 2.0%.

Kohl’s Corporation (KSS) is a retail chain with operations throughout the United States. The stock has a market cap of $9.79 billion, a PE of 10, and a PEG of 0.74.

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (HOG) develops and manufactures motorcycles, accessories and parts for motorcycles worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $6.45 billion, a PE of 8, a PEG of 0.88, and it pays a yield of 4.5%.

Fiserv, Inc. (FISV) renders information management systems services in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $5.79 billion, a PE of 9, and a PEG of 0.70.

Wisconsin Energy Corporation (WEC) delivers natural gas and electric services in Wisconsin and Michigan. The stock has a market cap of $4.24 billion, a PE of 12, a PEG of 1.51, and it pays a yield of 2.6%.

Marshall & Ilsley Corporation (MI) is a bank providing financial services to corporate, institutional, and government customers. The stock has a market cap of $3.62 billion, a PE of 8, and it pays a dividend of 7.3%.

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (ROK) designs and provides software and solutions for industrial automation of different processes. The stock has a market cap of $3.75 billion, a PE of 6, a PEG of 0.52, and it pays a yield of 4.0%.

Joy Global, Inc. (JOYG) makes, and sells mining gear. The stock has a market cap of $3.00 billion, a PE of 9, a PEG of 0.67, and it pays a dividend of 2.2%.

Alliant Energy Corporation (LNT) generates, delivers and sells electric power in Minnesota, and Iowa. The stock has a market cap of $2.66 billion, a PE of 6, a PEG of 1.74, and it pays a yield of 5.1%.

Manpower Inc. (MAN) offers employment services in the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Japan, Australia, and Argentina. The stock has a market cap of $2.26 billion, a PE of 5, a PEG of 0.46, and it pays a yield of 2.2%.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the other states, such as Missouri stocks, Minnesota stocks, Kansas stocks, and Iowa stocks.

Author owns HOG.

By Stockerblog.com

Wisconsin Stocks

Fred Fuld — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:34:00 +0000

Wisconsin Stocks

Fred Fuld — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:34:00 +0000

Louisiana Stocks

Fred Fuld — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 05:34:00 +0000

Louisiana, unlike any of the other states of the union is made up of Parishes, as opposed to counties. A state of subtropical temperatures, and wild hurricanes is also a land of great riches. Louisiana refines more oil than any other state. Here are some interesting facts about Louisiana:

1. Petroleum and natural gas are Louisiana’s number one mined products, and together they account for 90% of the total state mining income.
2. Louisiana ranks number one in shrimp production.
3. The production of chemical products are one of Louisiana’s top manufacturing industries.
4. Sugar cane is Louisiana’s top farm product.
5. 19 refineries are located within the state of Louisiana, and together they are responsible for 15% of the total refining capacity of America.
6. The state imposes a $0.20 per gallon tax on oil.
7. Almost 9,000 people are employed by refineries, and the average employee makes over $20,000 more than employees in any other industries in the state.
8. Louisiana’s fishing industry accounts for 25% of the total seafood production in the country.
9. The state produces 25% of the total U.S. production of petrochemicals
10. Louisiana is the top fur producer, including furs from nutria, muskrat and mink.

The following companies are headquartered in Louisiana:

CenturyTel, Inc. (CTL) is a telecommunications company in the United States. It provides voice, Internet and broadband services. The stock has a market cap of $3.29 billion, a PE of 9, a PEG of 1.60, and it pays a yield of 7.9%.

Lamar Advertising Company (LAMR) delivers advertising services in the United States and Canada. The stock has a market cap of $2.36 billion, a PE of 77, and a PEG of 8.94.

Tidewater, Inc. (TDW) is a support company to the offshore energy industry. It provides vessels and other marine support. The stock has a market cap of $2.08 billion, a PE of 6, a PEG of 0.12, and it pays a yield of 2.3%.

Superior Energy Services, Inc. (SPN) is a service and support company. It provides equipment to oil and gas companies drilling in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $1.42 billion, a PE of 4, and a PEG of 0.25.

The Shaw Group, Inc. (SGR) is an engineering company providing industrial services to several companies worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $1.38 billion, a PE of 21, and a PEG of 0.41.

Cleco Corporation (CNL) produces, delivers and markets electricity in the state of Louisiana. The stock has a market cap of $1.27 billion, a PE of 10, a PEG of 1.19, and it pays a yield of 4.0%.

Amedisys, Inc (AMED) renders home health services, such as nursing services, and occupational therapies in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $1.17 billion, a PE of 16, and a PEG of 0.72.

Whitney Holding Corporation (WTNY) is a banking institution providing services to retail and small business customers. The stock has a market cap of $1.12 billion, a PE of 10, a PEG of 2.34, and it pays a dividend of 6.2%.

McMoRan Exploration Co. (MMR) explores, and produces oil and natural gas. The stock has a market cap of $778.22 million, and a PE of 16.

Pool Corporation (POOL) is a wholesaler of swimming pool products and supplies, including chemicals and cleaning products. The stock has a market cap of $865.30 million, a PE of 15, a PEG of 1.49, and it pays a dividend of 2.8%.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the states, such as Missouri stocks, Minnesota stocks, Kansas stocks, and Iowa stocks.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Michigan Stocks

Fred Fuld — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 05:45:00 +0000

Michigan is best known for its auto industry and its beautiful shoreline, which is also the largest freshwater coastline in the world.
Although Michigan’s main industry today continues to be the manufacturing industry, the state government encourages different industries to locate in the state through its attractive incentive programs. Some interesting facts about Michigan follow:

1. Michigan’s manufacturing industry produces 30% of the total state revenue.
2. Recently enacted legislation mandates that by 2015, Michigan’s energy be produced from renewable sources.
3. Michigan has a tax-free zone designed for the food processing industry, the forestry industry and the renewable energy industry.
4. Michigan’s top agricultural products are dairy products, cattle and calves, hogs and chicken eggs.
5. Michigan is the top producer of automobiles in the United States. Its production accounts for 21% of all automobiles manufactured within the country.
6. In 2007 visitors to Michigan spent $18.1 billion.
7. Michigan is the top producer of tart cherries.
8. The state’s top agricultural export was soybeans, totaling $960 million.
9. There are more than 4,000 oil wells in production currently in Michigan.
10. The oil and gas industry generates over 10,000 jobs In the state.

The following companies are headquartered in Michigan:

The Dow Chemical Company (DOW) makes and markets chemicals, plastics, and agricultural products. The stock has a market cap of $23.85 billion, a PE of 10, a PEG of 1.53 and it pays a dividend of 5.9%.

Stryker Corporation (SYK) is a medical development company with operations worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $21.37 billion, a PE of 20, a PEG of 1.10, and it pays a yield of 0.6%.

Kellogg Company (K) makes and sales cereals and related products. The stock has a market cap of $18.45 billion, a PE of 17, a PEG of 1.93, and it pays a yield of 2.4%.

Ford Motor Company (F) develops and manufactures cars and trucks worldwide. Ford’s stock has a market value of $4.70 billion.

DTE Energy Company (DTE) is a utility company that produces, delivers and sells electric power and natural gas in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $5.22 billion, a PE of 8, a PEG of 2.02, and it pays a yield of 5.9%.

Masco Corporation (MAS) is a home improvement company with business in the U.S. and international markets. It makes, sells and installs different building products. The stock has a market cap of $4.86 billion, a PE of 35, a PEG of 1.80, and it pays a dividend of 5.9%.

Whirlpool Corporation (WHR) designs, makes and distributes home appliances worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $4.08 billion, a PE of 9, a PEG of 0.89, and it pays a yield of 2.6%.

General Motors Corporation (GM) develops and manufactures cars, trucks and automobile parts worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $2.69 billion, and it has a yield of 13.2% based on previous payments.

Perrigo Company (PRGO) is a pharmaceutical company. It produces both, over the counter medicines and prescription drugs. The stock has a market cap of $3.03 billion, a PE of 23, a PEG of 0.87, and it pays a yield of 0.6%.

Pulte Homes, Inc. (PHM) is a homebuilding company in the United States. It also provides financial services. The stock has a market cap of $2.7 billion, and it pays a dividend of 1.4% based on previous payments.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the states, such as Missouri stocks, Minnesota stocks, Kansas stocks, and Iowa stocks.

Author owns F.

By Stockerblog.com

Kentucky Stocks

Fred Fuld — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 05:07:00 +0000

Once, a part of Virginia, Kentucky is today one of only four states that calls itself a Commonwealth. It is also known as the Bluegrass State. Kentucky is one of the top producers of automobiles in the United States. Some interesting facts about the Commonwealth of Kentucky are:
1. Kentucky offers a $1 tax credit per gallon of biodiesel produced to companies in the state.
2. New and expanding service companies in the state may be entitled to a tax credit of up to 100% of its income tax liability.
3. Kentucky is the 15th state with the lowest cost of doing business.
4. Kentucky’s nonfuel mineral production revenue is $600 million, which ranks it number 24 nationally.
5. The service industry employs 34% of the labor force, followed by the utilities, trade and transportation utility employing 20% of the labor force.
6. Canada is Kentucky’s top international export market. In 2004 exports to that country totaled $4.63 billion. Following Canada are France, the United Kingdom and Japan.
7. Kentucky is a top producer of coal, with an approximate 400 mines throughout the state.
8. Mining (except oil and gas) produced $2.28 billion in 2002.
9. Kentucky’s Gross State Product is about $130 billion.
10. 96% of Kentucky’s export s are manufactured goods, followed by agricultural products (2.2%).

The following companies are headquartered in Kentucky:

Yum! Brands, Inc. (YUM) is a fast food restaurant chain. Its brands include: KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell among others. The stock has a market cap of $12.23 billion, a PE of 14, a PEG of 1.20, and it pays a yield of 2.7%.

Brown-Forman Corporation (BF-B) makes and sells alcoholic beverages. The stock has a market cap of $7.34 billion, a PE of 17, a PEG of 2.01, and it pays a yield of 2.0%.

Humana Inc. (HUM) is a provider of health benefits. Its clients are companies and individuals in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $5.08 billion, a PE of 6, and a PEG of 0.50.

Ventas, Inc. (VTR) operates and manages healthcare properties in the United State, mainly senior care facilities. The stock has a market cap of $4.59 billion, a PE of 28, a PEG of 1.68, and it pays a yield of 5.3%.

Omnicare, Inc. (OCR) is a pharmaceutical company. It provides pharmaceutical services to seniors. The stock has a market cap of $2.65 billion, a PE of 30, a PEG of 0.94, and it pays a yield of 0.3%.

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP (BWP) delivers and stores natural gas in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $2.30 billion, a PE of 7, a PEG of 1.23, and it pays a yield of 11%.

Lexmark International, Inc. (LXK) makes and sells imaging and printing products worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $2.43 billion, a PE of 8, and a PEG of 1.16.

Ashland, Inc. (ASH) delivers chemicals, plastics in North America and Europe. The stock has a market cap of $1.44 billion, a PE of 7, a PEG of 0.83, and it pays a yield of 4.2%.

General Cable Corporation (BGC) sells fiber optic wires, aluminum, and copper wires worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $777.77 million, a PE of 3, and a PEG of 0.42.

Kindred Healthcare (KND) engages in the business of providing healthcare services in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $807.34 million, a PE of 19, and a PEG of 1.19.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the states, such as Missouri stocks, Minnesota stocks, Kansas stocks, and Iowa stocks.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Indiana Stocks

Fred Fuld — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:20:00 +0000

Indiana is perhaps best known by its world famous Indianapolis 500 motorsports race, but there is indeed much more to this state. It is also a fast growing and very diverse state. The following are interesting facts about Indiana:

1. Livestock and poultry occupations employ over 42,000 in Indiana.
2. There are three biodiesel plants in Indiana, and one under construction.
3. There are 12 ethanol plants operating within the state and together they produce over 1 billion gallons of ethanol.
4. A third of Indiana’s soybean production is exported.
5. Indiana’s tourism industry contributes almost $7 billion to the economy.
6. Indiana’s top manufacturing industries are: transportation equipment, chemicals, and primary metals.
7. The manufacturing industry employs approximately 640,000 workers in the state.
8. Indiana’s coal industry provides the state with over 2,000 jobs.
9. International manufacturing firms with operations in Indiana employ 90,000 people.
10. Indiana offers several attractive incentives to companies relocating to the state.

The following companies are headquartered in Indiana:

Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) develops makes and markets pharmaceutical drugs and products worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $34.43 billion, a PE of 9, a PEG of 1.43, and it pays a yield of 5%.

WellPoint, Inc. (WLP) is a health benefits company. Its customers are large and midsize employers in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $17.17 billion, a PE of 6, and a PEG of 0.65.

Simon Property Group Inc. (SPG) buys, owns, develops, and manages retail real estate in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $14.95 billion, a PE of 34, a PEG of 1.27, and it pays a yield of 1.8%.

Zimmer Holdings, Inc. (ZMH) develops and sells orthopedic products in Latin America, Europe and Asia. The stock has a market cap of $11.13 billion, a PE of 15, and a PEG of 1.06.

Cummins, Inc. (CMI) makes and sells natural gas engines, and related services and products. The stock has a market cap of $6.18 billion, a PE of 7, a PEG of 0.39, and it pays a yield of 2.0%.

NiSource (NI) delivers natural gas and electricity to customers in the U.S. The stock has a market cap of $30.4 billion, a PEG of 3.48, and it pays a yield of 7.0%.

ITT Educational Services (ESI) offers study programs leading to Associate, bachelor, and masters degree in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $2.63 billion, a PE of 15, and a PEG of 0.81.

Duke Realty Corporation (DRE) leases and manages properties in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $2.04 billion, a PE of 15, a PEG of 1.31, and it pays a yield of 11.3%.

Steel Dynamics Incorporated (STLD) makes and sells steel products in the United States The stock has a market cap of $1.49 billion, a PE of 3, a PEG of 0.29, and it pays a yield of 4.2%.

Vectren Corporation (VVC) engages in the transportation and delivery of energy to customers in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $1.64 billion, a PE of 12, a PEG of 2.84, and it pays a yield of 5.7%.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the other central states, such as Missouri stocks, Minnesota stocks, Kansas stocks, and Iowa stocks.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Illinois Stocks

Fred Fuld — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:40:00 +0000

Chicago the most populous city of Illinois is also home to the world’s second busiest airport, Chicago O’Hare. But this state’s economy does not depend on any particular city or industry. Read on to find out more:

1. Illinois is the top producer of nuclear power in the country.
2. The state offers several tax incentive programs for companies relocating to Illinois.
3. Almost 12,000 manufacturing firms are headquartered in the state, and together they operate 19,000 plants within the state.
4. The most important industries in Illinois are: food, chemicals machinery, and fabricated metals.
5. Over 2,000 banks and 1,000 savings institutions are headquartered in Illinois.
6. The agricultural industry produces more than $8 billion in income.
7. Illinois is the number one producer of soybeans and a top producer of corn.
8. More than 6,000 trucking companies call Illinois home.
9. 65% of the state soil beneath the surface is rich in coal.
10. The state is the 9th top producer of coal in the country.

The following companies are headquartered in Illinois:

Abbot Laboratories (ABT) designs, makes and sells health care products at an international level. The stock has a market cap of $77.46 billion, a PE of 19, a PEG of 1.41, and it pays a yield of 2.6%.

McDonald’s Corp. (MCD) is a chain food company, it operates not only in the US market, but also worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $58.57 billion, a PE of 14, a PEG of 1.45, and it pays a yield of 3.8%.

Kraft Foods, Inc. (KFT) makes and sells packaged foods in the United States and abroad. It also makes and sales beverages. The stock has a market cap of $42.05 billion, a PE of 17, a PEG of2.10, and it pays a yield of 3.8%

Baxter International, Inc. (BAX) is a healthcare provider company with operations worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $36.67 billion, a PE of 20, a PEG of 1.55, and it pays a yield of 1.4%.

The Boeing Company, (BA) develops, makes and markets parts and supports for commercial, and military aircraft. The stock has a market cap of $32.87 billion. It has a PE of 8, a PEG of 0.70, and it pays a yield of 3.2%.

Exelon Corporation (EXC) produces, delivers and sells electricity to residential, industrial and commercial customers in Illinois. The stock has a market cap of $31.66 billion, a PE of 12, a PEG of 1.90, and it pays a yield of 3.7%.

Caterpillar, Inc. (CAT) makes and markets mining and construction equipment. The stock has a market cap of $27.27 billion, a PE of 7, a PEG of 0.68, and it pays a yield of 3.5%.

Walgreen Co. (WAG) is a pharmacy chain throughout the U.S. The stock has a market cap of $25.02 billion, a PE 12, a PEG of 0.84, and it pays a yield of 1.7%.

CME Group Inc. (CME) manages two futures exchanges, CME, and CBOT. Some of its products are: futures and options, equity indexes, and foreign exchange. The stock has a market cap of $19.39billion, a PE of 22, a PEG of 1.19, and it pays a yield of 1.2%,

Illinois Tool Works, Inc. (ITW) makes industrial equipment. It also makes packaging products. The stock has a market cap of $18.18 billion, a PE of 11, a PEG of 0.89, and it pays a yield of 3.4%.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the other central states, such as Missouri stocks, Minnesota stocks, Kansas stocks, and Iowa stocks.

Author owns MCD.

By Stockerblog.com

Joe Biden Stock Index versus Sarah Palin Stock Portfolio

Fred Fuld — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:56:00 +0000

The most-watched vice-presidential debate in history recently took place between candidates Sarah Palin, the Governor of Alaska, and Joe Biden, the senior Senator for Delaware, at Washington University in St. Louis. There were reportedly 70 million viewers according to Nielsen Media Research. Stockerblog.com has put together a comparison of the Joe Biden Stock Index, which is made up of the companies that are connected to the billionaire contributors to the Joe Biden campaign, and the Sarah Palin Stock Portfolio, which is made up of the stocks in the Alaska State disclosure filing for her and her husband.

The Palin Portfolio was down 22% outperforming the Biden Index which was down 27%, which doesn't mean much since it a comparison of a contributor index to a stock portfolio, or in other words, apples to oranges. However, both grossly underperformed the Dow Jones Industrial Average which was down only 14%.

Joe Biden Stock Portfolio showing campaign donors

Comcast (CMCSA) Amos Hostetter
Estee Lauder ( EL ) Leonard Lauder
Expedia Inc. (EXPE) Barry Diller
IAC/InterActiveCorp ( IACI ) Barry Diller
MGM Mirage (MGM) Kirk Kerkorian
Revlon (REV) Ronald Perelman
Scientific Games ( SGMS ) Ronald Perelman
Wynn Resorts Ltd (WYNN) Stephen Wynn

Sarah Palin Stock Portfolio

iShares MSCI Australia Index (EWA) is an ETF that invests in Australian stocks. It has a PE of 13 and pays a yield of 5.33% .

iShares MSCI Belgium Investable Market Index (EWK) is an ETF that invests in Belgium stocks. It has a PE of 9 and pays a yield of 9.98% .

iShares MSCI Spain Index (EWP) is an ETF that invests in Spanish stocks. It has a PE of 10 and pays a yield of 4.56% .

International Game Technology (IGT) makes and sells computerized gaming equipment. It has a PE of 14 and pays a yield of 3.10% .

Intuit Inc. (INTU) offers business and financial management applications for small and medium sized businesses, and financial institutions. It has a PE of 23 .

KBW Capital Markets ETF (KCE) is an ETF structured to track the total return performance of the Capital Markets index. It has a PE of 15 and pays a yield of 1.37% .

National Oilwell Varco, Incorporated (NOV) makes and markets systems and products for the oil and gas industry. It has a PE of 13 .

Roper Industries Inc. (ROP) makes and sells energy systems and controls, and scientific and industrial imaging products. It has a PE of 19 and pays a yield of 0.50% .

BP plc (BP) explores, produces, refines and sells petroleum. It has a PE of 7 and pays a yield of 6.20% .

Don't forget to check out the Barack Obama Stock Index versus John McCain Stock Index versus Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Assumptions:
These are price-weighted indices, similar to the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Dividends were included.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Arkansas Stocks

Fred Fuld — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:37:00 +0000

Arkansas is the birthplace of Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States. Arkansas’ subtropical weather sounds very inviting for those who live in regions of extreme temperatures. The state has usually mild winters, but that is not the reason why some world renowned companies call Arkansas home. Here are some interesting facts about the state:

1. Arkansas main agricultural products are chicken, rice, soybeans, and cattle and calves.
2. The north west part of the state is rich in natural gas, which is the most important mined product in the state.
3. In 2007 tourism contributed a total of $5.4 billion to the state economy.
4. Agriculture employs 275,000 in Arkansas
5. Agriculture’s contribution to the state gross domestic product is the largest of any state, 12% of Arkansas’ GDP comes directly from agricultural activities.
6. Arkansas ranks 4th for timber production
7. Arkansas’ Little Rock is ranked 22nd best place to do business.
8. Arkansas is the number one state producer of bromine.
9. Arkansas is the number producer of silica stone (and the only one).
10. The state is one of the top producers of gemstones.

The following companies are headquartered in Arkansas:

Wal-Mart (WMT) is the largest retailer worldwide. Wal-Mart sells general merchandise, electronics, fabrics, stationery, shoes, housewares, etc. The stock has a market cap of $200 billion, a PE of 15, a PEG of 1.35, and its stock pays a yield of 1.7%.

Murphy Oil Corporation (MUR) explores and produces gas and oil throughout the world. The stock has a market cap of $9.52 billion, a PE of 7, a PEG of 0.17, and it pays a yield of 2%.

Windstream Corporation (WIN) is a telecommunications company. Its services include, telephone, Internet services, and wireless services. Its customers are rural communities throughout the United States. The stock has a market cap of $3.86 billion, it has a PE of 4, a PEG of 2.86 and it pays a yield of 10.4%.

Tyson Foods, In. (TSN) makes and markets prepared foods, from chicken, beef, and pork. The stock has a market cap of $3.80 billion, a PE of 54, a PEG of 2.43, and it pays a yield of 1.4%.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (JBHT) is an industrial transportation company. It provides services to the paper industry, construction, and retail industries. The stock has a market cap of $3.27 billion, a PE of 18, a PEG of 1.46, and it pays a yield of 1.5%.

Baldor Electric Company (BEZ) makes and sells industrial electric motors, and generators. The stock has a market cap of $954.22 million, a PE of 9, a PEG of 1.29, and it pays a yield of 3.1%.

Acxiom CP (ACXM) delivers marketing databases, data integration services, and other management solutions services worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $649.40 million, a PE of 40, a PEG of 1.37, and it pays a yield of 2.3%.

Arkansas Best Corporation (ABFS) is a transportation service provider. Its services include national transportation of commodities . the stock has a market cap of $713.85 million, a PE of 12, a PEG of 1.51, and it pays a yield of 2.0%.

Dillard’s Inc. (DDS) is a major operator of retail stores in the southern United States. It carries men, women and children wear. The stock has a market cap of $624.36 million, a PE of 1,700, and it pays a yield of 1.7%.

Deltic Timber Corp. (DEL) plants and harvests timber. The company also leases oil and gas rights to its lands. The stock has a market cap of $608.24 million, a PE of 154, and it pays a yield of 0.6%.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the other central states, such as Missouri stocks, Minnesota stocks, Kansas stocks, and Iowa stocks.

Author owns WIN.

By Stockerblog.com

Where To Put You Money When The S&P 500 Bottoms

Steve Warshaw — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:36:11 +0000

Last Thursday, October 9th 2008, I predicted the market would be hitting rock bottom by May, 2009. With that in mind, investors who had their money on the sideline, or who have taken advantage of bearish market levers such as puts and shorts have a massive advantage in their ability to buy into positions very cheaply. [...]

Oklahoma Stocks

Fred Fuld — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:46:00 +0000

Oklahoma is a land of innovation. After all, the first parking meter came out of this state. Today Oklahoma is a top producer of automobiles and planes. Centrally located, mild temperatures and low cost of living make Oklahoma a very attractive state. Here are some interesting facts about Oklahoma:

1. Oklahoma’s top exports are pumps for liquids, and liquid elevators.
2. Oklahoma offers an incentive program for new employers generating employment within the state. Its quality jobs program pays up to 5% of the total payroll expense for up to 10 years.
3. The cost of doing business in Oklahoma is the 10th lowest in the country.
4. It is estimated that Oklahoma will be the second largest provider of wind power by 2030.
5. The state’s aerospace industry employs over 143,000 people.
6. There are 4 foreign trade zones within the state.
7. It is expected that service providing industries in Oklahoma will account for 99% of all new employment between 2004 and 2014.
8. By contrast, manufacturing is one the fastest declining industries in the state.
9. Oklahoma’s finance industry provides almost 4% of all jobs in the state.
10. Top industries in the state within the finance industry are: commercial banking and insurance agencies & brokerages.

The following companies are headquartered in Oklahoma:

Devon Energy Corporation (DVN) produces and delivers oil and gas. Devon Energy owns properties throughout the United States. The stock has a PE of 9, a PEG of 1.14, and it pays a yield of 0.7%.

Chesapeake Energy Corporation (CHK) explores, produces, and sells natural gas and oil. The company owns properties in Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas, Montana, Colorado, and Oklahoma. The stock has a PEG of 0.68, and it pays a yield of 0.9%.

Williams Companies, Inc. (WMB) explores, produces and sells natural gas. The company owns property in Argentina, Venezuela, an throughout the United states. The stock has a PE of 8, a PEG of 0.48, and it pays a yield of 2.0%.

Continental Resources, Inc. (CLR) explores and produces natural gas and oil. The company owns properties in the United States. The stock has a PE of 15, and a PEG of 0.32.

ONEOK Partners, L.P. (OKS) owns and manages gas pipelines. It is also engaged in the production of natural gas liquids, and distribution. The stock has a PE of 10, a PEG of 1.62, and it pays a yield of 7.9%.

Helmerich & Payne, Inc. (HP) provides equipment and personnel for the drilling of oil and gas wells worldwide. The stock has a PE of 9, a PEG of 0.90, and it pays a yield of 0.5%.

Bok Financial Corporation (BOKF) is a financial service company, the company provides ATM, merchants, and small business banking services. The stock has a PE of 20, a PEG of 1.72, and it pays a yield of 1.7%.

ONEOK, Inc. (OKE) buys, transports and markets natural gas. The stock has a PE of 12, a PEG of 1.19, and it pays a yield of 4.7%.

SandRidge Energy Inc. (SD) manages an oil and gas company. It explores and produces oil and gas in the United States. The company has a PEG of 0.53.

OGE Energy Corp. (OGE) produces, transports and sells electricity and natural gas to customers in the United States. The stock has a PE of 12, a PEG of 3.03, and It pays a yield of 4.5%.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the other Midwestern states, such as Missouri stocks, Minnesota stocks, Kansas stocks, and Iowa stocks.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Nebraska Stocks

Fred Fuld — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:03:00 +0000

Nebraska prides itself for being one of the states with the lowest cost of living in the country, having some of the cleanest air and water, and being centrally located. An above average health care system is also in place in Nebraska. A hospital stay costs 30 percent less than the average national cost. Some other interesting facts about Nebraska are:

1. Nebraska has no property tax.
2. Income tax liability is calculated based on sales only.
3. Nebraska is the only state to offer a 100% public power system.
4. Agriculture and manufacturing are Nebraska’s primary source of revenue.
5. Nebraska’s top agricultural commodities are: cattle and calves, corn, and soybeans.
6. The Ogallala Aquifer, one of the major natural underground water available is under Nebraska’s soil.
7. Nebraska is the only state with a unicameral legislature.
8. Nebraska is geographically located in the center of the United States, half way between Boston and San Francisco.
9. The state of Nebraska offers several incentives for businesses relocating to the state. Including, investment credits, sales tax refunds, and inventory tax exemptions.
10. Nebraska’s largest export is processed food.

The following companies are headquartered in Nebraska. They have a market cap of over $600 million.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-A) is in the business of insurance and reinsurance of property. The stock has a market cap of $213.61 billion, and a PE of 19.

Union Pacific Corp. (UNP) is a rail transportation company. Its services link the west part of the United States with major ports in the east coast, and some Mexican destinations. The stock has a PE of 17, a PEG of 0.74, and it pays a yield of 1.6%.

TD Ameritrade Holding Corp (AMTD) provides brokerage and financial services to customers in the United States. The stock has a PE of 13, and a PEG of 0.63.

ConAgra Foods Inc. (CAG) provides ready to be consumed food. Some of its brands are: Banquet, Blue Bonnet, Healthy Choice, VanCamp, and many others. The stock has a PE of 8, a PEG of 1.16, and it pays a dividend of 3.8%.

Valmont Industries Inc. (VMI) manufactures metal and concrete products, irrigation systems. Some of its products include power poles, which are used for street lighting among other uses. The stock has a PE of 16, a PEG of 0.80, and it pays a yield of 0.7%.

Buckle Inc. (BKE) is a retail company with more than 300 stores throughout the United States. Its products include casual apparel, and footwear. The stock has a PE of 17, a PEG of 1.14, and it pays a yield of 2.3%.

Werner Enterprises Inc. (WERN) provides transportation services in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Its clients include several retail stores. The stock has a PE of 23, a PEG of 2.34, and it pays a yield of 0.9%.

Lindsay Corp. (LNN) produces and markets agricultural irrigation devices, which are capable of automating the process while saving energy, water, and manpower. The stock has a PE of 24, a PEG of 1.12, and it pays a dividend of 0.4%.

Cabela’s inc. (CAB) is a retailer of outdoor sports merchandise. It operates primarily in the United States, and its business is focused on the sale of hunting, camping and fishing gear. The stock has a PE of 8, and a PEG of 0.57.

Nelnet Inc. (NNI) is a company focused on the financing high education in the United States. It assists families and students with planning and financing, before, during, and after college. The stock has a PEG of 1.35, and it pays a yield of 1.9%.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the other Midwestern states, such as Missouri stocks, Minnesota stocks, Kansas stocks, and Iowa stocks.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Missouri Stocks

Fred Fuld — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 02:34:00 +0000

Missouri has a very diversified economy. It has a large service sector, wholesale, retail, manufacturing and agricultural. It is a top producer of automobiles, beer and aerospace technology. Some lesser known facts about Missouri follow:

1. Missouri’s top commodities are soybeans, cattle and calves and corn.
2. 14,842 new businesses settled in Missouri during 2007.
3. Top manufacturing industries in the state are: transportation equipment, food products, and fabricated metals.
4. The manufacturing industry employs 13% of the work force.
5. Missouri exports chemicals, machinery and food products to South Korea, China and Japan.
6. The High-tech industry of Missouri employs 4% of the work force.
7. Missouri offers over $306 million in incentives for biofuel energy development, along with tax credits.
8. Forest products contribute $1.69 billion to the economy.
9. Top industries depending on exports are the aircraft manufacturing, and the wholesale trading industries.
10. The optical instrument and less manufacturing industry exports 100% of its products.

The following companies are headquartered in Missouri:

Monsanto Company (MON) makes agricultural products. It is also engaged in the biotechnology industry. The stock has a PE of 23, a PEG of 0.67, and it pays a yield of 1%.

Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. (BUD) produces and sells beer worldwide. Some of the most popular brands are: Budweiser, and Michelob. The stock has a PE of 23, a PEG of 2.03, and it pays a yield of 2.3%.

Emerson Electric Co. (EMR) engages in the technology business. It operates worldwide and designs and delivers engineering services. The stock has a PE of 13, a PEG of 0.95, and it pays a yield of 3.1%.

Express Scripts, Inc. (ESRX) renders management services for pharmacies in the United States. The company also home delivers certain pharmaceutical products. The stock has a PE of 28, and it pays a yield of 1.35.

Peabody Energy Corporation (BTU) produces and sells coal worldwide. The company owns plants in the United States, Australia and Venezuela. The stock has a PE of 27, a PEG of 0.48, and it pays a yield of 0.6%.

Ameren Corporation (AEE) is a public utility company. It produces, and delivers energy to businesses. The stock has a PE of 11, a PEG of 3.20, and it pays a yield of 6.5%.

H&R Block, Inc. (HRB) is a business consulting firm. Some of its services include tax preparation and advice, accounting services, and retail banking. The stock has a PEG of 1.24, and it pays a yield of 2.5%.

Sigma-Aldrich Corporation (SIAL) produces and markets chemicals. The company sells its products worldwide. The stock has a PE of 20, a PEG of 2.01, and it pays a yield of 1%.

MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (WFR) produces and markets wafers used by the semiconductor industry. The stock has a PE of 9, and a PEG of 0.22.

Amdocs Limited (DOX) is a service provider company. Its clients are the service industry throughout the world. It also produces and delivers software used for management purposes. The stock has a PE of 15, and a PEG of 0.83.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the western states, such as Arizona stocks, Oregon stocks, and Nevada stocks.
.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

October 8, 2008 – LDK Solar (NYSE:LDK)

Small Cap Pulse — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:08:00 +0000

October 8, 2008 - LDK Solar (NYSE:LDK) reported this morning that it has raised Q3 revenue guidance to a range between $530 million to $540 million, up from a previous guidance range of $486 million to $496 million. It also said that its shipments had a total capacity of 230MW to 240MW, up from a previously forecasted 210MW to 220MW. And it has reached 1.2GW of production capacity by the end of the quarter. This was its year-end goal, so it is clearly ahead of schedule. None of this should be too surprising for investors paying attention to LDK's results over the past couple of years. It has made a practice of executing and beating Street expectations, and raising guidance. Nonetheless, its stock has been sold off lately on broader market weakness and due to the Street's reaction to Goldman Sach's downgrades of First Solar (Nasdaq:FSLR) and SunPower (Nasdaq:SPWRA) yesterday, and related comments about module oversupply. We think the stock has tremendously oversold at current levels, and this morning's raise in guidance validates that sentiment. We now raising our forecast for LDK's FY2008 revenue to $1.8 billion, and our income forecast to $324 million. At yesterday's closing price of $19.32, the company is trading at less than 7x FY08 earnings, which, if we are right about our estimates, will be up 131% on a Y/Y basis. The stock is trading at 1.18x FY08 sales, which we forecast to be up 243%. These multiples do not reflect fair value, in our opinion, and are the byproduct of the broader market selloff, and yesterday's commentary from Goldman Sachs about oversupply in the module space. The oversupply issue is old news, and it has been getting priced into solar stocks now since January. The fact that Goldman Sachs decided to slash ratings on a couple companies that we agree, were still holding pretty stiff premiums on a relative basis, really shouldn't have bled over to impact LDK and several other midstream companies that have already been sold off to levels which more than factored this all in. But it did. We see this as unique opportunity to buy LDK at a tremendous discount to what more reasonable multiples would put the stock at. At a 14x PE against 2008 earnings guidance, the stock would be trading at $66. This is a 230% premium from current levels. The S&P average has historically support a P/E multiple of 14x, and this is with the inclusion of a broad number of businesses that don't show anywhere near the sequential and year-over-year growth rate that LDK continues to demonstrate. So we think this valuation and target is completely reasonable and defensible. That being said, the markets can stay irrational longer that you can remain solvent. This is the maxim that has been pushing so many fund managers to deleverage and blow out their positions - even the good ones - to get back to a level of solvency and risk that they can stomach. This is the euphoric dynamic which has driven the markets down 12% since we got the bailout bill, and more selling is on tap this morning. So LDK's stock can get cheaper, as its fundamental strength is being completely overlooked by the Street. We don't propose to be able to call bottoms. But we think anywhere at current levels the upside for LDK over the next 12 to 18 months, when the markets do eventually recover, is undeniable. Important Disclosure Note: SCPEditor Is LONG LDK. The information and trades provided here and in the comments are for informational purposes only and are not a solicitation to buy or sell any of these securities. Investing involves substantial risk and you should evaluate your own risk levels before you make any investment. Past results are not an indication of future performance. Disclaimer: Information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not warrantee that it is accurate or complete. This material is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. While we believe all sources of information to be factual and reliable, in no way do we represent or warrantee the accuracy thereof, nor the statements made herein. THE READER SHOULD VERIFY ALL CLAIMS AND DO HIS OR HER OWN DUE DILIGENCE BEFORE INVESTING IN ANY SECURITIES MENTIONED. COMMON STOCKS INVOLVE SUBSTANTIAL RISK AND IT IS POSSIBLE TO LOSE YOUR ENTIRE INVESTMENT. This information is not an endorsement of the Company by SCP. SCP is not responsible for any claims made by the Company. You should independently investigate and fully understand all risks before investing. Statements included in this email or fax may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties such as competitive factors, technological development, market demand and the Company's ability to obtain new contracts and accurately estimate net revenues due to variability in size, scope and duration of projects, and internal issues in the sponsoring client. Further information on potential factors that could affect the Company's financial results, can be found in the Company's Registration Statement and in its Reports on Forms 10-K and 10Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Minnesota Stocks

Fred Fuld — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:41:00 +0000

Trade was one of Minnesota's earliest industries. A lot has changed since the days when fur trading was the main business of this economy. Today Minnesota is home to a vibrant economy. The state is a top producer of wind power and ethanol fuel.

Some interesting facts about the state are:

1. Purchase and sale of cattle, sheep, goats, poultry and fur-bearing animals is tax-free.
2. Petroleum derivates are tax-free when used in the production of agricultural products.
3. Forest products, minerals, and outdoor recreation represent 6% of the Stateâ€™s gross product.
4. Minnesotaâ€™s top exports are: computers, and electronics, and machinery.
5. The stateâ€™s top trading partners are Canada, China and Ireland.
6. Minnesota has the 14th lowest property tax in the nation.
7. More fortune 500 companies are headquartered in Minnesota per person than in any other state.
8. Between 1994 and 2004 Minnesotaâ€™s medical technology employment grew by over 40%.
9. Currently the University of Minnesota is funding and researching over 90 different projects to produce bio-fuels.
10. Minnesota offers an incentive for businesses to locate in certain rural areas of the state. This program is called JOBZ, and provides mainly tax relief to companies that startup, or relocate to these specific areas.

The following companies are headquartered in Minnesota:

U.S. Bancorp (USB) is a financial company, its products include, checking, savings and money market accounts, as well as loans and mortgages. The company also offers credit cards. The stock has a PE of 15, a PEG of 2.44, and it pays a yield of 4.6%.

Medtronic Inc. (MDT) is in the medical field. The company designs and produces several medical devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators. The stock has a PE of 24, a PEG of 1.28, and it pays a yield of 1.5%.

3M Company, (MMM) is a multi segment technology company. Its business segments include: display and graphics, safety, security, industrial and transportation. The stock has a PE of 12, a PEG of 1.06, and it pays a yield of 3%.

Target Corporation (TGT) is a retailer with stores throughout the country. It offers goods from general merchandise to electronics, to consumables, to sporting goods. The stock has a PE of 13, a PEG of 0.97, and it pays a yield of 1.4%.

UnitedHealth Group (UNH) is a healthcare company that operates in the United States, it offers health benefit plans. It works with employers who ensure their employees and also directly with people purchasing insurance on their own. The stock has a PE of 8, a PEG of 0.73, and it pays a yield of 0.1%.

Mosaic Co. (MOS) designs and sells nutrients for animal and agricultural use. It produces fertilizers among other products. The stock has a PE of 9, a PEG of 0.31, and pays a yield of 0.3%.

Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV) is an insurance company. It sells commercial and personal property and casualty insurance. Its customers are businesses, individuals and the government. The stock has a PE of 6, a PEG of 0.73, and it pays a yield of 2.8%.

General Mills, Inc (GIS) makes and sells ready to be consumed food, such as yogurts, cereals, and frozen meals. It operates in the United States and Canada. The stock has a PE of 19, a PEG of 2.02, and it pays a yield of 2.5%.

Best Buy Co. Inc. (BBY) is a retailer specialized in electronic products, and software in the United States, Canada, and China. The stock has a PE of 11, a PEG of 0.77, and it pays a yield of 1.5%.

St. Jude Medical, Inc. (STJ) is engaged in the creation, production and distribution of cardiovascular medical equipment. The stock has a PE of 22, and a PEG of 1.20.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the western states, such as Arizona stocks, Oregon stocks, and Nevada stocks.
.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Kansas Stocks

Fred Fuld — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:24:00 +0000

Kansas was purchased in 1803 by the US government as part of the Louisiana Purchase. Their soil today produces wheat, corn, oats, berries potatoes, and much more. Kansas is also home to some of the leading aircraft-manufacturing companies.
Here are some interesting facts about the state:
1. Kansas is the number one producer of wheat.
2. Kansas is one of top oil producers. The state has also natural gas and helium reserves.
3. Kansas wheat exports had a value of $1,012.8 million in 2007, and ranked it second among the states.
4. Kansas added more than 20,500 new jobs during 2006.
5. 70% of Kansas’ population, age 16 and over, are either working or looking for work.
6. It is expected that Kansas total employment will increase by 13.4% from 2002 to 2012.
7. Kansas demand for Architects, medical assistants and teachers is expected to grow by almost 50% by the year 2012.
8. The trade, transportation and utilities industry contributed more than 18% to Kansas nominal GDP of $111 billion in 2006.
9. Kansas top export is transportation equipment.
10. Kansas top trading partners, in order of importance are: Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.
The following companies are headquartered in Kansas:

Embarq Corporation (EQ) is a service company. It delivers local and long distance calls, internet services, video, wireless and satellite services. The stock has a PE of 8, a PEG of 3.88, and it pays a yield of 6.8%.

Capitol Federal Financing (CFFN) operates in Kansas and it offers its customers savings accounts, money market accounts, CDs and other accounts. The stock has a PE of 76, and it pays a yield of 4.4%.

Westar Energy Inc. (WR) produces and delivers electric energy in Kansas. The stock has a PE of 13, a PEG of 3.44, and it pays a yield of 5.0%.

Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc. (SPR) designs and produces aero-parts, such as wings, and fuselage for its commercial, business and military customers. The stock has a PE of 6, and a PEG of 0.54.

Waddell & Reed Financial Inc. (WDR) manages investment accounts, and provides shareholder services. The stock has a PE of 15, a PEG of 0.96, and it pays a yield of 3.1%.

Compass Minerals International, Inc. (CMP) manufactures and sells mineral products, such as fertilizers in the United States, and United Kingdom. The stock has a PE of 15, a PEG of 2.17, and it pays a yield of 2.8%.

Seabord Corp. (SEB) engages in the production and processing of pork. It also exports wheat and other commodities The stock has a PE of 8, and it pays a yield of 0.2%.

Collective Brands Inc. (PSS) is a wholesaler and retailer of footwear for men, women and children. The stock has a PE of 164, and a PEG of 1.08.

Farrelgas Partners (FGP) purchases, transports and resale propane. This propane is used for heating, cooking, and water heating. The stock has a PE o 45, a PEG of 3.56, and it pays a yield of 10.9%.

Euronet Worldwide (EEFT) is in the business of providing electronic payment systems. Some of its products include: ATMs, card issuing and processing. The stock has a PE of 21, and a PEG of 0.81.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the western states, such as Arizona stocks, Oregon stocks, and Nevada stocks.
.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Iowa Stocks

Fred Fuld — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:30:00 +0000

Iowa is home to seven of the top 1000 companies in the United States. Surrounded by two great American rivers, The Mississippi, and the Missouri, connected by multiple interstate highways, and U.S. Highways, as well as several big airports, it is no wonder that Iowa does business with the world. Here are some interesting facts about the state:

1. Iowa is the number one producer of pork.
2. Iowa is number one in egg production.
3. The state has over 400 certified organic farms.
4. 37% of Iowaâ€™s exports go to Canada, 15% to Mexico, and 7.8% to Japan.
5. Iowaâ€™s top exports are: machinery, transportation, and electrical equipment.
6. The manufacturing industry constitutes 22.2% of Iowaâ€™s gross state product.
7. Trade, transportation and Warehousing employ the largest number of people in the state.
8. Almost 90% of the state territory is used for farming purposes.
9. There are over 300 vineyards in Iowa.
10. Iowa is the top producer of ethanol.

These are some of the largest companies headquartered in Iowa:

Principal Financial Group (PFG) offers retirement, savings, investment and insurance accounts worldwide. The stock has a PE of 14, a PEG of 0.70, and it pays a yield of 2.4%.

Rockwell Collins, Inc. (COL) produces, markets and provides support for communication and aviation products and technologies. The stock has a PE of 11, a PEG of 0.73, and it pays a yield of 2.0%.

Terra Industries, Inc. (TRA) produces and sells nitrogen and methanol products for several purposes, both in the United States and abroad. The stock has a PE of 5, and it pays a yield of 1.4%.

Terra Nitrogen Company, L.P. (TNH) is structured as a publicly traded limited partnership that develops and makes nitrogen fertilizers. The stock has a PE of 6, and it pays a yield of 14.1%.

Caseyâ€™s General Stores, Inc. (CASY) is a chain of convenience stores under the name of Caseyâ€™s General Stores. It operates in some mainly in the Midwest. The stock has a PE of 17, a PEG of 1.51, and it pays a yield of 1.0%.

Heartland Express, Inc. (HTLD) is a haul truckload carrier. It provides short or medium distance transportation of commodities in the United States. The stock has a PE of 21, a PEG of 2.09, and it pays a yield of 0.5%.

Meredith Corporation (MDP) is a book publisher. Other services it provides are: magazine publishing, television, and marketing services. The stock has a PE of 9, a PEG of 0.92, and it pays a yield of 3.1%.

HNI Corp. (HNI) develops, makes, and sells office furniture. The stock has a PE of 12, a PEG of 1.43, and it pays a yield of 3.4%.

FBL Financial Group, Inc. (FFG) is a financial company engaged in the business of selling life insurance and annuity products. The stock has a PE of 40, a PEG of 1.66, and it pays a yield of 1.9%.

United Fire & Casualty Company (UFCS) provides property and casualty insurance in the United States. The stock has a PE of 12, a PEG of 2.34, and it pays a yield of 2.2%.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the western states, such as Arizona stocks, Oregon stocks, and Nevada stocks.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Sarah Palin Stock Portfolio

Fred Fuld — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 03:39:00 +0000

Sarah Palin is the Republican vice-presidential nominee in the upcoming presidential election, Alaska's first female governor, and their youngest governor. Todd, her husband, and Sarah Palin’s stock holdings can be found in her Alaska State disclosure filing for this year. Here are the stocks they own:

iShares MSCI Australia Index (EWA) is an ETF that invests in Australian stocks. It has a PE of 13 and pays a yield of 5.33% .

iShares MSCI Belgium Investable Market Index (EWK) is an ETF that invests in Belgium stocks. It has a PE of 9 and pays a yield of 9.98% .

iShares MSCI Spain Index (EWP) is an ETF that invests in Spanish stocks. It has a PE of 10 and pays a yield of 4.56% .

International Game Technology (IGT) makes and sells computerized gaming equipment. It has a PE of 14 and pays a yield of 3.10% .

Intuit Inc. (INTU) offers business and financial management applications for small and medium sized businesses, and financial institutions. It has a PE of 23 .

KBW Capital Markets ETF (KCE) is an ETF structured to track the total return performance of the Capital Markets index. It has a PE of 15 and pays a yield of 1.37% .

National Oilwell Varco, Incorporated (NOV) makes and markets systems and products for the oil and gas industry. It has a PE of 13 .

Roper Industries Inc. (ROP) makes and sells energy systems and controls, and scientific and industrial imaging products. It has a PE of 19 and pays a yield of 0.50% .

BP plc (BP) explores, produces, refines and sells petroleum. It has a PE of 7 and pays a yield of 6.20% .

Don't forget to check out the Barack Obama Stock Index and the John McCain Stock Index.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Sarah Palin Stock Portfolio

Fred Fuld — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 03:39:00 +0000

Fear Itself?

Roger Nusbaum — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:26:00 +0000

I am currently having trouble assessing what is really going on with sentiment over the last couple of days.

It is not crucial to the way I do the job at hand but it opens the door to an interesting line of thought that to some will seem insensitive but could be very constructive in terms of getting through the current bear market and could help with future bear markets.

The context will be for diversified portfolios.

For anyone feeling a sense of fear now at any point previously or at anytime before this bear ends, what exactly are you afraid of? Not being a wise-guy, in your fear you are assigning some probability to an outcome that is not acceptable to you.

Losing all of your money, literally going to zero, is not acceptable to anyone. Nor is it in the realm of possibility (remember, diversified portfolios). How many stocks do you own that have gone to zero? Do you even use stocks or do you use indexes?

From the peak the S&P 500 is down 24% (add in dividends if you care to). If you have a reasonably diversified portfolio and took no defensive action you are down something similar in the equity portion of your portfolio, maybe a little better maybe a little worse but close.

How low do you fear the market will go? 100% is off the table. I have yet to read anywhere that makes a compelling case for this being worse than the great depression, so that would take 80% down off the table. Earlier in the decade the market cut in half with a starting PE ratio in the mid thirties (charted above). Based on the chart the PE at the peak on this go around was in the teens. I am not a fan of PE ratios for predicting anything but at a minimum it contributes to the case for the market not cutting in half in this bear phase.

Even if it does cut in half what will happen after that? After it bottoms, regardless of the level or the date, what will happen? You know the answer because you have lived through this before it will turn up. Bear markets end with new bull markets. You know this will happen but don't know when.

When the last bear bottomed it took five years to make a new high. At some point we will look at the bottom of this bear and say it took X years to make new high.

Another dimension to the fear is "I won't have enough money when I retire." Assuming proper asset allocation (that is important) and a diversified portfolio your fate in this regard will not be determined by one bear market.

If you are 60 and you retire today you have two outcomes, you either live a long time or you do not. If you live a long time you need the portfolio to grow to keep up with inflation (assuming a prudent withdrawal rate) for a long time. If you get hit by lightning carrying your box of stuff out to the car on your last day you don't need any money but you might leave a spouse who will face the same thing; living a long time or not, same worries about inflation or not.

If you dropped all 50% in the last bear market what have you done about it since? Save more? Take out less (if you are retired)? Seek out defensive a strategy? Something else? In all likelihood you did something (even if not in the portfolio) that otherwise mitigates at least some of the setback of cutting in half a few years ago.

The reason people run out of money (again assuming a diversified portfolio and not total mismanagement of a bear market like selling out at the low and buying back after a 20% lift) is they spend too much money or manage debt poorly one way or another (the two are obviously related). If the portfolio drops 25% and at the same time you take out 10% you're going to have a problem. That magic four point whatever percent withdrawal rate is such that it can withstand big drops. Bigger withdrawals; not so much.

As kind of a repeat theme, the numbers work a certain way. One way to mitigate the fear of not having enough; don't bet you can outsmart the numbers.

Seven Stocks Selling for Over $2000 a Share

Fred Fuld — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:15:00 +0000

If you think Warren Buffett's company is the only high priced share, you would be mistaken. Here are seven that sell for over $2,000 per share.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-A) sells for $131,000.00 per share. This is the famous company run by Warren Buffett. The stock has a PE of 18 .

Bactolac Pharmaceutical Inc. (BTCA.PK) sells for $30,000.00 per share. They are a a private-label contract manufacturer of vitamins and nutritional supplements. The stock has a PE of 8 .

Sterling Sugars, Inc. (STSU.PK) sells for $19,300.00 per share. The company is a Louisiana based processor of sugarcane, and producer of raw sugar and blackstrap molasses.

American Bank Holdings, Inc. (ABKH.OB) sells for $10,500.00 per share. They are a bank holding company based in Silver Spring, Maryland. The stock has a PE of 4 .

The Seibels Bruce Group (SBBG.PK) sells for $6,400.00 per share. The company is a South Carolina based property and casualty insurance company. The stock has a PE of 49 and pays a yield of 3.85% .

LICT Corporation (LICT.PK) sells for $4,365.00 per share. The company is a rural telecommunications company based in Rye, New York. The stock has a PE of 8 .

Eupa International Corporation (EUPI.PK) sells for $2,800.00 per share. The company provides support, product design, R&D and patent services to Tsann Kuen Enterprise Co., Ltd. a Chinese company.

For more high priced stocks, check out stocks that were selling between $100 and $200 per share.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Stocks that Went Up when the Market Tanked

Fred Fuld — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 07:10:00 +0000

Yesterday, Monday, September 22, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped over 370 points, following a previous tumultuous week for the stock market. Yet on that same day, numerous stocks were up, with many up over 10% for the day. Unless it is short covering, there may be something positive behind the stock's movement. The following stocks were all up over 10%. They all have market caps over $500 million, and PE ratios below 20.

Synutra International, Inc. (SYUT) produces dairy based nutritional products in China. The stock was up 25.7% . The stock has a PE of 16 .

Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (FFH) is in the property and casualty insurance and reinsurance business. The stock was up 25.5% . The stock has a PE of 3 .

United Microelectronics Corp (UMC) manufactures fabricates semiconductors and integrated circuits in Taiwan. The stock was up 14.4% . The stock has a PE of 12 and a PEG of 0.53 .

Gold Fields Limited (GFI) is in the gold mining business in South Africa, Ghana, Australia, and Peru. The stock was up 13.6% . The stock has a PE of 10 and a PEG of 3.49 .

HSN, Inc. (HSNI) sells electronics and housewares, jewelry, beauty, apparel, and other items through its television network. The stock was up 12.1% . The stock has a PE of 6 .

Pan American Silver Corp. (PAAS) explores for and develops silver copper, zinc, lead, and gold properties. The stock was up 11.5% . The stock has a PE of 18 and a PEG of 1.65 .

Madeco S.A. (MAD) manufactures flexible packaging products in Chile. The stock was up 10.7% . The stock has a PE of 18 .

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Stocks for Adults Only

Fred Fuld — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 06:39:00 +0000

One industry that seems to be recession proof is the adult entertainment industry. This is a $20 billion industry, and some sources say that the industry has been growing by as much as 50% per year. Many of the publicly traded stocks in this business are low cap companies, so caution is urged when considering these.

Playboy (PLA) is a New York Stock Exchange company that which is participating in practically all aspects of the industry including magazines, DVD’s, television shows, documentaries, web entertainment, e-commerce sites, and various Playboy brand products. They also own the Spice brand of TV shows and related products. They recently decided to launch their Playboy Magazine in the Philippines. It is considered to be the largest adult entertainment conglomerate in the world. Last year, they started going after women as customers. It has a forward P/E of 14. This is a low cap stock and should therefore be considered speculative.

New Frontier Media (NOOF) is a Boulder, Colorado based company, traded on NASDAQ, which provides adult entertainment TV networks, cable television video-on-demand, satellite broadcasts, motion pictures and hotel room broadcasts. It has a forward P/E of 19 and a PEG Ratio of 1.28. This is a very low cap stock and should therefore be considered very speculative.

VCG Holding Corp. (VCGH) provides live adult entertainment, under the branded names PT’s, Diamond Cabaret and The Penthouse Club. The stock has a PE of 10. This is an extremely low cap stock and should therefore be considered extremely speculative.

LodgeNet Entertainment (LNET) is a NASDAQ traded Sioux Falls, South Dakota company provides television broadcasts to hotels in the U.S. and internationally, including on-demand movies which include mature audience entertainment. The company has recently generated negative earnings. This is a very low cap stock and should therefore be considered very speculative.

Private Media Group (PRVT) is an adult media company is based in Barcelona, Spain. The company, which was founded in 1980, produces magazines, videos, DVD’s and movies for broadcast television, cable, satellite, and the Internet. The company has recently generated negative earnings. This is a very low cap stock and should therefore be considered very speculative.

Rick's Cabaret International (RICK) This Houston based company operates adult nightclubs in cities throughout the United States including Houston, New York, New Orleans, Charlotte, and Minneapolis. The stock has a P/E of 14. This is a very low cap stock and should therefore be considered very speculative.

Million Dollar Saloon Inc. (MLDS.PK) operates an adult cabaret in Dallas, Texas. The company was founded in 1982. The stock has a PE of 10. This is an extremely low cap stock and should therefore be considered extremely speculative.

Scores Holding Co. Inc. (SCRH.OB) is a New York City based company that licenses its trademark to adult oriented nightclubs. The company has recently generated negative earnings. This is an extremely low cap stock and should therefore be considered extremely speculative.

Interactive Brand Development Inc. (IBDI.PK) is based in Deerfield Beach, Florida, and provides online payment processing services for adult entertainment companies. They also own a part interest in Penthouse Media Group, and an adult TV network. The company has recently generated negative earnings. This is an extremely low cap stock and should therefore be considered extremely speculative.

Other adult industries that you may want to check out include gambling stocks.

Author owns RICK. No recommendation expressed or implied.

By Stockerblog.com

War Stocks

Fred Fuld — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 06:39:00 +0000

If you still haven't put any defense and aerospace stocks in your portfolio, you should seriously consider doing so before October. There are plenty of these 'war' stocks to choose from including ones that pay high yields. Here are some that you may want to site your scopes on and possibly pull the trigger. All of these have market caps over $1 billion.

Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) manufactures and markets aerospace and defense products and ammunition. The stock has a PE of 16, and a PEG of 1.56.

Boeing (BA) makes and markets jets, military aircraft, missile defense systems, satellites, and launch systems. The stock has a PE of 11, a PEG of 0.83, and pays a yield of 2.8%.

CAE Inc. (CGT) makes and markets simulation equipment and services to the civil aviation industry, military organizations, and defense organizations. The stock has a PE of 17, and pays a yield of 1.2%.

DRS Technologies Inc. (DRS) a provider of defense electronic products, defense systems, and military support services. The stock has a PE of 19, a PEG of 1.34 , and pays a yield of 0.2%.

Elbit Systems Ltd. (ESLT) is an Israeli company that makes unmanned air vehicles; advanced electro-optic and space technologies, electronic warfare suites, airborne warning systems, electronic intelligence systems, military communications systems. The stock has a PE of 18, a PEG of 1.77, and pays a yield of 1.7%.

Embraer, also known as Empresa Brasileira De Aeronutica S.A. (ERJ) based in Brazil, makes and markets jets and aircraft for defense and civil aviation markets. The stock has a PE of 14, a PEG of 0.86, and pays a yield of 3.9%.

General Dynamics Corp. (GD) manufactures aviation products, combat vehicles, weapons systems, and munitions. The stock has a PE of 14, a PEG of 1.32, and pays a yield of 1.7%.

Goodrich Corp. (GR) makes and markets components and systems for the commercial and general aviation airplane markets, and the defense and space markets. The stock has a PE of 10, a PEG of 0.62, and pays a yield of 2%.

Honeywell International Inc. (HON) is involved in the business of aerospace, automation solutions, specialty materials, and transportation systems. The stock has a PE of 13, a PEG of 1.05, and a yield of 2.5%.

Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) manufactures military aircraft, and air vehicles, including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the F-22 air dominance attack aircraft, and the F-16 multi-role fighter. The stock has a PE of 15, a PEG of 1.25, and pays a yield of 1.6%.

Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC) provides aerospace products, electronics, and shipbuilding to the military, government, and commercial customers. The stock has a PE of 13, a PEG of 1.03 , and pays a yield of 2.5%.

Raytheon (RTN) has six divisions: Integrated Defense Systems, Intelligence and Information Systems, Missile Systems, Network Centric Systems, Space and Airborne Systems, and Technical Services. The stock has a PE of 15, a PEG of 1.11, and pays a yield of 2%.

Rockwell Collins Inc. (COL) makes and markets communications and aviation electronics. The stock has a PE of 13, a PEG of 0.8, and pays a yield of 2%.

If you like high yield stocks, you should also consider Top Monthly Dividend Stocks, Top Yielding NYSE Stocks, and Stocks with Tax Free Dividends.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Wyoming Stocks

Fred Fuld — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 03:33:00 +0000

Did you know that Wyoming has a district called the historic J.C. Penny district? James Cash Penny established his first store in this state. Eventually it grew to the chain best known as J.C. Penny.

Here are some interesting facts about Wyoming:

1. New jobs created in Wyoming during 2007 ranked second in the country.
2. No personal income tax.
3. No corporate income tax.
4. Income from the mining industry contributes 2/3 of the total state revenue.
5. Wyoming’s top tourist destinations are: Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park.
6. Top commodities are: Livestock of cattle, hay, sugar beets and barley.
7. Top mineral commodities are: coal, natural gas, and crude oil.
8. Wyoming is seventh nationwide for oil production.
9. Wyoming ranks number one for coal production in the nation.
10. The southern part of Wyoming is excellent for the production of wind power.

The following companies are connected to the state of Wyoming.

US Energy Corp. (USEG) is a Wyoming based company that explores for and develops uranium, molybdenum, gold, lead, zinc, silver, and oil and gas. The stock has a PE of 1.05. This is a very low cap stock and should therefore be considered very speculative.

Crazy Woman Creek Bancorp Inc. (CRZY.PK) is a bank holding company for Buffalo Federal Savings Bank, which serves the Johnson, Campbell, and Sheridan counties in Wyoming. The stock has a P/E of 19. It has a very low market cap, so it should therefore be considered very speculative and illiquid. For their recent reported quarter, they had a 31% drop in earnings on a 9.6% increase in revenues.

Victory Acquisition Corp. (VRY) was founded in January 2007. It currently does not have substantial operations. It plans on increasing its business by purchasing or merging with other companies. The stock has a PE of 60.

Double Eagle Petroleum Co. (DBLE) produces and markets oil and natural gas. The stock generated a loss of $1.08 per share. It has a forward PE of 16.

MDU Resources Group Inc. (MDU) is a distributor of electricity and natural gas, and is also involved in construction services in Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana. The stock has a PE of 12, a PEG of 0.98, and it pays a yield of 1.9%.

Glacier Bancorp (GBCI) is a holding institution that renders banking services in Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Washington. The stock has a PE of 16, a PEG of 14, and It pays a yield of 2.4%.

Black Hills Corp. (BKH), controls an energy company that delivers energy to customers in Wyoming, South Dakota, and Montana. The stock has a PE of 16, a PEG of 2.04. It pays a yield of 4.1%.

Gastar Exploration, Ltd. (GST) explores for and develops coal bed methane property in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana. They also explore and develop oil and gas properties in North America and Australia. The stock has a forward PE of 42. The stock trades on the American Stock Exchange.

Questar Corp. (STR) is in the business of producing and selling natural gas and oil in Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho. The stock has a PE of 16, a PEG of 1.57, and it pays a yield of 0.9%.

Check out stocks from some other states: Nevadastocks, Idaho stocks, and Colorado stocks.

Author does not own any of the above at this time.

By Stockerblog.com

Understanding stock valuation

DanielXX — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 05:17:00 +0000

(P.S: Sorry for any disturbances the advertisements above may have caused you)
To me, understanding valuation, or why the stock is priced the way it is over an extended period, is one of the, if not THE, key risk management method for the stock investor/trader. This is as opposed to the approach of many traders who use technical analysis, momentum trading, cut-loss etc. Indeed, if I may generalise, the upside gains from an investment comes from astute understanding of business dynamics and growth potential, but management of downside risk comes from understanding of the valuation.

There are several issues on valuation that I'll discuss here. First of all, understanding what type of valuation technique drives the price of a stock is winning half the battle. The favourite technique is PE (price earnings) but I am incredulous when people quote PE for companies which should more accurately be valued by their balance sheet assets eg. property stocks. PE is more relevant for companies which enjoy steady and sustainable growth in their core earnings because it is predicated on projecting a certain level of earnings growth into the future, and hence it's imperative that these earnings are predictable. Indeed, it's worth noting that often the best time to buy cyclical companies is when their PEs are high or even negative, because it will be at the bottom of the business cycle when this happens (ie. the market-timer can catch it at its bottom).

It's also interesting to observe how valuation technique can change at different points in the market cycle. In an up market, PE is often used because earnings are seen to be on a steady growth trend in the foreseeable future. The more cynical individual might also postulate, with some truth, that PE valuation offers a lot of latitude for the market analyst who wants to push a stock to derive a very high target price, through surreptitious methods like using high PE ratios (can anyone honestly explain why a stock should be worth 15X instead of 20X PE?) or using earnings 2 or 3 years later as the basis for the PE calculation. When the market turns, like now, suddenly analysts base target price at NTA (net tangible assets). It's worth guarding mentally against such skulduggery.

An associated issue is the elasticity in price valuation that each valuation technique produces. There is great amount of discretion that has to be exercised with respect to the PE ratio used, whether it should be 5X, 10X, 20X. Hence this method often can be dangerous in the event of a PE compression when liquidity is tight or sentiment weakens, simply because price targets can decline by multiples without earnings even changing. Valuation on the basis of NTA might produce a more solid base, because balance sheet assets don't just melt away; the analyst might decide, however, at different times to assign 0%, 10%, or 30% discount to NTA, or even premiums to NTA, when calculating fair value, depending on his or Mr Market's "mood". That is why one should perhaps buy both asset plays (valuation based on NTA) and growth plays (valuation based on PE) if he wishes to control the degree of price voilatility in his portfolio.

The last issue is to do with assessing the components of valuation. This could best be illustrated with the example of a conglomerate. For example, consider Keppel Corporation. Conglomerates' values are calculated on a SOTP (sum-of-the-parts) basis, where the value of various divisions are summed up. According to a recent GKGoh report on Keppel, I can observe that its offshore division constitutes >50% of the SOTP total value, its property division and Keppel T&T constitute >10% each, with its infrastructure division and SPC stake making up the balance. This provides a general reference for where the main price driver of Keppel lies, whether or not the target price eventually derived overshoots or not. Hence the valuation of Keppel will be most affected by changes in the offshore segment --- this is the one to watch if one is holding the stock.

This approach can be extrapolated to most companies as well to assess what drives their valuation. For example, my Hotstocksnot assessment of Lian Beng in October last year concluded that a large part of its valuation derived from its property developments with its construction segment forming the minority, and this formed the basis for my hotstocksnot conclusion because I felt then that property prices might have peaked which meant Lian Beng's heavy exposure in this segment would render it a substantial victim of a property downturn. Although Lian Beng had hitherto been known as a construction player, an in-depth assessment of its stock valuation would have rendered useful insights and prevented a disastrous entry into the stock.

That is why I consider valuation knowledge probably the most important aspect of an investor's toolkit. At the same time, it is important to recognise and keep in mind the fluid and dynamic nature of valuation approaches, so that one constantly evaluates the market and its interaction with the mainstream valuation approach.

North Dakota Stocks

Fred Fuld — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:46:00 +0000

North Dakota’s economy is mainly dependant on agriculture, 25% of its economic base to be more precise. Natural resources are the most valuable asset this state possesses. Consider the following key facts about North Dakota:

1. It ranks number one nationally for its potential to produce wind power.
2. The state also produces biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel.
3. There are more than 160 certified organic farms in the state.
4. North Dakota lowered its corporate income tax beginning January 1, 2007. North Dakota corporate taxable income percentages vary from 2.6 to 6.5%.
5. The state individual income tax varies from 2.1% to 5.5%.
6. North Dakota allows a corporate tax exemption of up to 5 years for new or expanding technology based businesses.
7. North Dakota is one of the safest states in the country.
8. North Dakota produces about 2.7% of the total U.S. oil production.
9. The state population is only 635,867
10. North Dakota produce approximately 45 million barrels of oil in 2007

The following companies are connected to North Dakota:

MDU Resources Group Inc. (MDU) is a distributor of electricity and natural gas, and is also involved in construction services segment in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The stock has a PE of 12, a PEG of 0.98, and it pays a yield of 1.9%.

Investors Real Estate Trust (IRET) is an investment trust focused in real estate properties that generate income in the United States. The stock has a PE of 55, a PEG of 2.53, and it pays a yield of 6.6%.

Titan Machinery, Inc. (TITN) runs agricultural stores in North America. It is also a retailer of construction equipment. The stock has a PE of 30, and a PEG of 1.14. The stock has a market cap of $400 million.

Continental Resources Inc. (CLR), although not based in North Dakota, is an oil and natural gas explorer and developer which is the largest land leaseholder in the North Dakota part of the Bakken shale. The stock has a PE of 24, and a PEG of 0.41.

EOG Resources, Inc. (EOG), the oil and gas company, although not based in North Dakota, has successfully drilled in the Bakken Formation in North Dakota where they own approximately 320,000 net acres. The stock has a PE of 24, a PEG of 0.89, and a yield of 0.6%.

Check out stocks from some other states: Arizona stocks, Oregon stocks, and Nevada stocks.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Remember Potash Corp. (POT), the Perfect Stock

Steve Reeves — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:06:44 +0000

We called Potash Corp. (NYSE:POT) the perfect stock back in March, when it was under $150 then ran all the way up to $241 a share. Today, shares of POT are right back to $150 level and despite the haters, they are still one of the few companies that raised their 2008 and 2009 guidance.

Montana Stocks

Fred Fuld — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:35:00 +0000

Ranking 48th in population when compared to the rest of the states, Montana has plenty of room to accommodate tourists and visitors, as well as plenty of natural wonders to show, including Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park. Tourism, agriculture, and mining are Montana’s primary source of income. Some interesting facts about Montana:

1. The mining industry contribution to the state economy in 2005 was $2.3 billion.
2. It ranks number 6 in coal production in the United States.
3. Montana currently requires that public utilities companies obtain 5% of its energy from renewable sources, with a goal of 15% by the year 2015.
4. Wind power is of major importance to the state, Montana potential wind power generation ranks it number 5 nationwide.
5. Montana’s main crop is wheat.
6. Montana is rich in gas, oil, and coal.
7. Montana’s gross state product for 2007 was $34,253 million.
8. Copper is becoming increasingly important in Montana due to its rising value.
9. Approximately 8.6% of income goes to State income tax in Montana, well under the average 9.7% nationally.
10. Montana Corporate income tax is based on a flat rate of 6.75% on all corporate income.

The following companies are connected to the state of Montana:

Glacier Bancorp (GBCI) is a holding institution that renders banking services in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, and Washington. The stock has a PE of 16, a PEG of 14, and It pays a yield of 2.4%.

Stillwater Mining Co. (SWC) specializes in the mining, and refining of palladium and other metals in Montana. The stock has a PE of 72.

Right Now Technologies (RNOW), delivers software in the U.S., Europe and Asia. The company generated a loss per share of $0.40, but it has a forward PE of 67.

Semitool Inc (SMTL) makes, sells and delivers semiconductor devices. The stock has a PE of 88, and a PEG of 1.70. This is a very low cap stock and should therefore be considered very speculative.

Black Hills Corp. (BKH), although not based in Montana, controls an energy company that delivers energy to customers in Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The stock has a PE of 16, a PEG of 2.04. It pays a yield of 4.1%.

Northwestern Corp. (NWE), although not based in Montana, delivers energy to customers in Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska. The stock has a PE of 15, and a PEG of 1.49. It pays a yield of 5.2%.

Gastar Exploration, Ltd. (GST), although not based in Montana, explores for and develops coal bed methane property in the Powder River Basin of Montana and Wyoming. They also explore and develop oil and gas properties in North America and Australia. The stock has a forward PE of 42. The stock trades on the American Stock Exchange.

Check out stocks from some other states: Nevadastocks, Idaho stocks, and Colorado stocks.

Did you know that the most expensive house in the world is being built in Montana?

Author does not own any of the above mentioned stocks.

By Stockerblog.com

South Dakota Stocks

Fred Fuld — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 22:36:00 +0000

What is today the state of South Dakota was actually acquired by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 for $15 million. Jefferson’s investment has definitely paid huge dividends. Some interesting facts about South Dakota follow:

1. There is no corporate income tax.
2. There is no personal income tax.
3. South Dakota has a population of about 800,000.
4. The state gross product in 2007 was $34,000 million.
5. Forbes Magazine ranked Sioux Falls as the Best Small Place to do business in 2008.
6. The South Dakota housing market is among the most affordable in the country.
7. Mt. Rushmore National Memorial is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the state.
8. 10% of Dakota’s gross product is produced by the manufacturing industry.
9. Tourism generates over $1 billion in revenues each year.
10. Black Hills, South Dakota is the leading gold mining center in the United States.

The following companies are headquartered in South Dakota. They all have a market cap of over $500 million.

Black Hills Corp. (BKH) controls an energy company that delivers energy to customers in South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. The stock has a PE of 16, a PEG of 2.04. It pays a yield of 4.1%.

Verasun Energy Corp. (VSE) produces and sells ethanol and byproducts of ethanol. The stock has a PE of 10, and a PEG of 1.52.

Northwestern Corp. (NWE) delivers energy to customers in South Dakota, Montana, and Nebraska. The stock has a PE of 15, a PEG of 1.49. It pays a yield of 5.2%.

Daktronics Inc. (DAKT) produces and sells electronic scoreboards, and electronic displays. The stock has a PE of 16, a PEG of 2.1, and it pays a yield of 0.5%.

Raven Industries (RAVN) is in the business of making and selling industrial, agricultural, military and aerospace equipment. The stock has a PE of 25, a PEG of 1.67, and it pays a yield of 1.2%.

Check out stocks from some other states: Nevadastocks, Idaho stocks, and Colorado stocks.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Utah Stocks

Fred Fuld — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 03:47:00 +0000

Utah’s arid land is not very suitable for agriculture, but it is rich in minerals, making it very profitable for the mining industry. Strategically located, Utah’s economy is one of the strongest in the nation. Some interesting facts about Utah are:

1. Utah has recently cut personal income taxes by $400 million. Beginning January 1, 2008, Utah applies a fixed tax rate of 5% to all taxpayers.

2. They have incentives for corporations to relocate to Utah, and may award eligible companies up to $500,000.

3. The mining industry in the state focuses primarily on copper, gold, molybdenum, and magnesium.

4. The aerospace industry, together with the military industry, are very important to Utah’s economy.

5. There are 7 universities and colleges in the Utah offering programs geared toward the aerospace industry.

6. Electric energy in Utah is among the cheapest in the country.

7. Utah’s call centers employ over 31,000 people.

8. More than 4,000 IT companies are located in the State, most in Salt Lake County.

9. The manufacturing industry accounts for almost 10% of all employment in Utah.

10. The nutritional supplement industry in Utah produces up to 20% of the nutritional supplements found in the United States.

The following companies are all headquartered in Utah, and have market caps over $600 million.

Questar Corp. (STR) is in the business of producing and selling natural gas and oil in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho. The stock has a PE of 16, a PEG of 1.57, and it pays a yield of 0.9%.

Huntsman Corp. (HUN) sells various types of chemical products that are later utilized in industries from refrigeration, to footwear. The stock generated a loss of 54 cents per share. It has a forward PE of 15, and it pays a yield of 3.1%.

Myriad Gentics Inc. (MYGN) is in the biotechnology industry. The company makes and sells molecular diagnostic products utilized by the health industry. The stock has a PE of 65.

Zions Bancorp. (ZION) renders banking services in the United States. The stock has a PE of 8, a PEG of 1.37, and it pays a yield of 6.9%.

Energy Solutions (ES) renders services to government and commercial clients. The services it provides are cleaning of nuclear plants, usually involving radioactive materials, and the disposal of such materials. The stock has a PE of 60, a PEG of 1.85, and it pays a yield of 0.5%.

Omniture Inc. (OMTR) designs and markets software, aimed at the management of businesses. The stock generated a loss of 33 cents per share; it has a forward PE of 26, and a PEG of 1.25.

Extra Space Storage (EXR) business activities include the purchase, conditioning, sell, and rental of self-storage space. The stock has a PE of 30, a PEG of 1.91, and it pays a yield of 6.5%.

Nu Skin Enterprises Inc. (NUS) is in the business of creating nutritional supplements. The stock has a PE of 21, a PEG of 1.21, and it pays a yield of 2.6%.

Skywest Inc. (SKYW) is an airline in the United States. It flies to the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. The stock has a PE of 7, a PEG of 0.7, and it pays a yield of 0.7%.

Headwaters Inc. (HW) engages in the delivery of products and services to the coal industry and the non-conventional energy industry. The stock has generated a loss of $1.15 per share and it has a forward PE of 15.

Check out stocks from some other states: Arizonastocks, Oregon stocks, and Nevada stocks.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

New Mexico Stocks

Fred Fuld — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:15:00 +0000

Roswell is one of the most famous cities in the State where a UFO supposedly crashed in 1947. But what really seems out of this world is the beauty of the state itself. Some interesting facts about New Mexico follow:

1. It ranks number 3 in U.S. natural gas production.
2. It ranks number 5 in U.S. oil production.
3. The state is a leader in production of uranium and potassium.
4. Los Alamos research center is a leader in nuclear, solar and geothermal energies research and development.
5. New Mexico’s population is of about 2 million.
6. In 2003 the state cut personal taxes by 40%.
7. The state’s maximum personal income tax is 4.9% for 2008.
8. New Mexico’s corporate franchise tax fee is only $50 a year.
9. The state has film production tax rebate of up to 15% on production expenditures.
10. The state also offers incentives for the aerospace industry.

The following are companies headquartered in New Mexico:

PNM Resources Inc. (PNM) is an energy company that operates mainly through its subsidiaries such as: Public Service Company of New Mexico. The stock has a PEG of 1.8 and it pays a yield of 7.30%.

Emcore Corp. (EMKR) provides semiconductor components for the solar power markets. The stock has a forward PE of 31.

First State Bancorp (FSNM) is a bank that provides services to businesses. The stock pays a yield of 6.60%.

Thornburg (TMA) is a mortgage lender. It renders capital to the housing market. The stock has a forward PE of 1.26. This is a very low cap stock and should therefore be considered very speculative.

Santa Fe Gold Corp (SFEG) is a mining corporation that buys and explores mineral properties. They recently generated negative earnings of one cent per share. This is a very low cap stock and should therefore be considered very speculative.

Alamogordo Financial Corp (ALMG) is a holding company for the Alamogordo Federal Savings bank.

Titan Technologies (TITT) is in the business of licensing technologies, mainly those that involve the construction of tire recycling facilities. They recently generated negative earnings of one cent per share. This is a very low cap stock and should therefore be considered very speculative.

Advanced Optic Elec (ADOT) is a technology company rendering image display and recognition technologies. This is a very low cap stock and should therefore be considered very speculative.

New Mexico Software Inc (NMXC) produces and sells inter based software for the video and audio industries. They recently generated negative earnings. This is a very low cap stock and should therefore be considered very speculative.

Cell Robotics Intl (CRII) makes and sells laser based medical equipment and other scientific instruments. This is a very low cap stock and should therefore be considered very speculative.

Check out stocks from some other states: Hawaii stocks, Alaska stocks, and Oregon stocks.

Author owns TMA.

By Stockerblog.com

Nevada Stocks

Fred Fuld — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:33:00 +0000

Nevada is more than Las Vegas. Its banking and finance industries are very strong, as is also the construction industry, but there is yet a lot more. Check out the following interesting facts:

1. Nevada is a state without usury limits, which has attracted many credit card companies to establish in the state.
2. Nevada, after California, produces the most geothermal energy in the nation.
3. Nevada produces about 10% of the world’s gold supply.
4. Nevada has no corporate income tax.
5. No franchise tax
6. The state has no personal income tax.
7. There is no state tax.
8. Nevada permits one-individual corporations.
9. There are more than 300,000 companies incorporated in the state of Nevada.
10. The state does not require that the directors of a company be stockholders.

The following companies have market caps of over $1 billion and are headquartered in Nevada.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) builds resorts worldwide, it is also the owner of the Venetian resort in Las Vegas. The stock has a PEG of 3.43.

Wynn Resorts Ltd. (WYNN) builds and operates casinos and resorts, such as the Wynn which it owns and operates. The stock has a PE of 29.7, and a PEG of 1.59.

MGM Mirage (MGM) posses and administers resorts throughout the country. The stock has a PE of 8.14, and a PEG of 2.05.

International Game Technology (IGT) produces and sells gaming equipment in the domestic and international markets. The stock has a PE of 18.45, a PEG of 1.6, and it pays a yield of 2.40%.

Sierra Pacific Resources (SRP) generates and delivers energy in the south of the state. The stock has a PE of 12.07, a PEG of 0.9. It pays a yield of 2.80%.

Ormat Technologies (ORA) its main business is the generation of geothermal energy, both nationally and internationally. The stock has a PE of 43.18, a PEG of 1.99, and it pays a yield of 0.40%.

Bally Technologies (BYI) produces and delivers gaming systems and other equipment related to the gaming industry around the globe. The stock has a PE of 21.33, a PEG of 0.65.

Southwest Gas Corp. (SWX) purchases, and sells natural gas in Arizona, California and Nevada. The stock has a PE of 15.22, a PEG of 2.38, and it pays a yield of 3.20%.

Boyd Gaming Corp (BYD) is a gaming company that operates in the United States. Its stock has a PE of 24.18, a PEG of 0.98. It pays a yield of 4.30%.

Employers Holdings, Inc. (EIG) is an insurance company specialized in commercial properties and casualty insurance. The stock has a PE of 7.15, a PEG of 0.98, and it pays a yield of 1.40%.

Check out stocks from some other states: Hawaii stocks, Alaska stocks, and Oregon stocks.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

SC Trading Pit’s Top Stock Picks

CEO Blogger — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 19:15:06 +0000

via thestockadvisors “Even in bad times, folks are often not prepared to relinquish their ‘pleasures’,” says small cap growth stock specialist Ian Cooper. in SC Trading Pit, he explians, “Even in shaky economic times, ‘vice’ stocks can generate astonishing gains.” Here, he looks at a trio of issues catering to “sins” that he feels offers [...]

SC Trading Pit’s Top Stock Picks

CEO Blogger — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 19:15:06 +0000

Schmitt Industries Inc. (SMIT): Balanced Profits for a Balanced Portfolio?

QualityStocks — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:47:59 +0000

Schmitt Industries (SMIT) is a maker of balancing equipment for the machine tool industry and precision laser measurement systems, and operates in two primary business segments: Balance and Measurement. The balance segment designs, manufactures, and markets computer-controlled balancing equipment primarily to the machine tool industry. The company’s measurement business specializes in the manufacture of products [...]

Idaho Stocks

Fred Fuld — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:18:00 +0000

It looks like everything can be negotiated in Idaho. In 2005 the town of Santa, Idaho changed its name to SecretSanta.com for one year, in return for $20,000. More recently new fiscal legislation passed with the aim of stimulating the economy statewide. Some interesting facts about Idaho are next:

1. $19.17 million reduction on corporate income tax legislation just passed.
2. Idaho is 5th nationally for entrepreneurial action
3. Idaho’s top agricultural products are dairy products, cattle and calves and potatoes.
4. Idaho’s mining sector includes silver, phosphate rock and gold.
5. Service industries are the largest sector of Idaho’s economy.
6. Idaho’s financial sector grew 7% between 2005 and 2007.
7. The mining industry generates 4,100 jobs in the state.
8. Idaho’s Sun Valley is one of the country’s favorite tourist destinations.
9. Idaho’s gross product in 2004 was $43.6 billion.
10. 1 out of3 potatoes comes from Idaho.

The following companies are headquartered in Idaho. They all have a market cap of over $200 million.

Micron Technology (MU) makes and sells semiconductor devices throughout the world. The company recently generated negative earnings of 1.86 per share.

Idacorp Inc Holding Co. (IDA) generates, distributes and markets electric energy. The stock has a PE of 17.46, a PEG of 2.38, and it pays a yield of 4%.

Coeur D'alene (CDE) mines properties in the United States, South America, Australia and Africa. The stock has a PE of 20.11, and a PEG of 0.69.

Hecla Mining Co. (HL) operates mines and markets silver, gold, lead and zinc. The stock has a PEG of 9.41.

Coldwater Creek Inc (CWTR) is a retailer of women’s clothes, and accessories, and it operates mainly in the United States. The stock has a PEG of 32.06.

American Ecology Corp. (ECOL) is a waste management company specializing in radioactive and hazardous waste in the United States. The company has a PE of 26.68, a PEG of 1.26, and it pays a yield of 2.30%.

MWI Veterinary Supplies, Inc (MWIV) supplies veterinary health products in the United States. Also pet foods and nutritional supplements. The stock has a PE of 25.91, and a PEG of 1.38.

Boise, Inc. (BZ) produces and markets packaging and paper items of a wide range. They have a forward PE of 7.

NightHawk Radiology Holdings, Inc. (NHWK) renders radiology services to hospitals throughout the United States. The stock has a PE of 27.36, a PEG of 0.83.

International Isotopes Inc. (INIS) makes nuclear medicine calibration and reference standards. They recently generated negative earnings of one cent per share.

Check out stocks from some other states: Hawaii stocks, Alaska stocks, and Oregon stocks.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Stockerblog.com Exclusive: Interview with Ken Fisher – Part 1

Fred Fuld — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 06:45:00 +0000

The Price Sales Ratio

Stockerblog.com had the pleasure of recently interviewing Ken Fisher, head of the $30 billion Fisher Asset Management, a very long time Forbes columnist, and author of the books Super Stocks, The Wall Street Waltz, 100 Minds That Made the Market, and The Only Three Questions That Count: Investing by Knowing What Others Don't.

He is also coming out with a new book in the Fall, The Ten Roads to Riches: The Way the Wealthy Got There (And How You Can Too!), published by Wiley.

Stockerblog.com: Talking a little about the Price to Sales Ratio, which you discussed extensively in your Super Stocks book, and mentioned in your latest book, Only Three Questions That Count , that it isn't as useful, how did you happen to find and utilize that ratio to begin with?

Fisher: In a world a long time ago, long before there was wide access to computing, I used to try to look at companies that were hemorrhaging badly that had everyone scared to death of them and losing lots of money. I would, in those days, go looking through the Wall Street Journal, looking at was then a very broad display of earnings reports, showing company revenue and profit or loss per share. So I would look for companies with huge losses and then I would sort around among them and then I would look at ones that had low market values in relations to sales, as a way to see upside leverage, to see if they could turn their operating loss condition around.

The fundamental question was, if the company is losing money, if it made X profit margin, what would its P/E be today, and that kind of led me to the price sales ratio as a way to normalize that. It was all in a world where any form of screening was difficult to do whereas today most forms of screening are quite trivial to do.

Stockerblog.com: Now I know you say that the PE ratio is no longer an indicator for undervalued stocks …

Fisher: I didn't say that. I said it's not nearly what it once was. I didn't suggest that there is no utility to it; in fact, in my Forbes column, I'll say company X sells at a PE of X and Y times revenue and Z yield as a way to get perspectives on the same issue.

That realm of the profitless company, 30 years ago was no man's land, and there was tremendous inefficiency there. In a world where most paid attention to PE and where, by then, the ravages of inflation had already made prices to book hard to compare company A to company B because inflation distorts book value, the price sales ratio appeared to be a current way to get a sense of how big is the stock compared to how big is the company, and that you could extrapolate from that in the future, profit margin Y, what the PE would be.

Stockerblog.com: Do you think the PS can still be used today to compare companies within an industry or within a sector?

Fisher: It's not as useful as it once was because , one, screening is so easy, that there is less value from screening as there once was and, two, the price sales ratio today is a well known concept, so because it's a well known concept, people use it so it has less value then that which is unknown.

Stockerblog.com: So it's built into the market now.

Fisher: I wouldn't say completely, because, it's still true, and it's verified by all kinds of behavioral studies, there tends to be a natural behavioral tendency for people to overreact to problems as well as overreact to successes. So when a company is losing money, and hemorrhaging badly, people tend to be overly scared away from it. So there's still something there but not as much as there once was.

End of Part 1 of the Interview – Stay tuned for future segments of the interview over the next several days, where Fisher discusses his thoughts on education, how his investing technique differs from Jim Cramer, stock market myths, favorable sectors and much more.

Fisher obviously didn't provide any stock recommendations for the interview, but many can be found in his Forbes column. For example, in the May 19 issue, he favored Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBV), with a PE of 7, a PS of 1.87, and a PEG of 0.42; Novartis AG (NVS) with a PE of 10, a PS of 3.06, and a PEG of 2.17; Royal Dutch Shell plc (RDS-A) (RDS-B), with a PE of 6, a PS of 0.49; and Sara Lee Corp. (SLE) with a forward PE of 12, a PS of 0.73, and a PEG of 2.

His latest book, Only Three Questions That Count, is available at Amazon. You can also check out the review of the book .

Author does not own any of the above mentioned stocks.

Interview by Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Colorado Stocks

Fred Fuld — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 17:33:00 +0000

Colorado is a state of thriving companies. The state’s industries are many and varied; from aerospace & satellite, to agriculture, bioscience, mining and natural resources, financial services, manufacturing and telecommunication. Some great key facts to know about Colorado are:
1. Over 100 companies are in the aerospace industry in Colorado.
2. The aerospace and satellite industry provide the state with around 130,000 jobs.
3. The agricultural industry generates over 105,000 jobs in the state.
4. Colorado’s top ranch and commodity products are cattle and diary products.
5. There are 380 bioscience companies in the state, employing over 16,000 people.
6. Colorado’s nanotechnology industry is number 6 in the country with 75 companies in 20 cities around the state.
7. Colorado ranks number 11 in the country for oil production.
8. Legislation passed requires that Colorado produce 10% of its energy from renewable sources by the year 2015.
9. The state is number 11 in the production of wind power.
10. 35.5% of the population has a bachelor’s degree, making it the second most educated state.

The following are 10 companies headquartered in the State of Colorado with market caps over $1 billion.

Western Union Co. (WU) facilitates money transfers worldwide and other services. The stock has a PE of 22.68 and a PEG of 1.47. It pays a yield of 0.10%.

Newmont Mining Co. (NEM) is engaged in the production of gold. The company owns many properties around the world. The stock has a PE of 25.26 and a PEG of 1.27. It pays a yield of 0.90%.

Dish Network Corporation (DISH) delivers satellite television to customers throughout the United States. The stock has a PE of 14.12, a PEG of 1.43.

Liberty Entertainment Corp. (LMDIA) has as Its main subsidiary DiecTV. The company is engaged in the delivery of satellite television. The stock has a PE of 2.41 and a PEG of 0.38.

Prologis (PLD) is a real estate investment trust. The company operates in North America, Europe and Asia. The stock has a PE of 16.29, a PEG of 2.17, and it pays a yield of 4.20%.

Liberty Global Inc. (LBTYA) the company engages in high speed internet, voice and video services. The stock has a PE of 250.27 and a PEG of 10.44.

Molson Coors Co. (TAP) makes and sells beers, and other beverages. The stock has a PE of 21.4 and a PEG of 1.37. It pays a yield of 1.60%.

Liberty Media Interactive (LINTA) makes and markets different consumer products. The stock has a PE of 16, and a PEG of 1.31.

Quest Communication International Inc. (Q) operating three different segments provides voice, data and Internet services in America. The stock has a PE of 2.62, a PEG of 2.94, and it pays a yield of 8.40%.

Discovery Holding (DISCA) supplies network services to industries around the world. The stock has a PEG of 3.06.

Check out stocks from some other states: Hawaii stocks, Alaska stocks, and Oregon stocks.

Author owns Q.

By Stockerblog.com

Arizona Stocks

Fred Fuld — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 05:50:00 +0000

Did you know that Arizona has helium? As a matter of fact Arizona is home to some of the richest helium containing gas in the world. A recent increase in the value of helium caused great interest in the quest for this gas.

But there is much more in Arizona than Helium; currently Arizona produces 200 barrels of oil and 1 million cubic feet of gas everyday from wells around the state. Additionally Arizona produces the most non-fuel mineral in the country.

Other interesting facts about Arizona are:

1. Arizona produced more than 60% of copper mined in the U.S in 2007.
2. Arizona’s copper industry generated a combined revenue for the state of $4.719 Billion in 2006.
3. The mining industry employs 22,000 people.
4. Arizona’s 2007 total gross state product was $247,028 million.
5. Arizona has passed legislation requiring that 15% of its energy come from renewable sources by the year 2025.
6. Sun shines in the state 85% of the time, which makes it very appealing to solar energy.
7. One of Arizona’s major crops is lettuce, it produces over 1 million metric tons per year.
8. Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings Time
9. The Grand Canyon is one of Arizona’s major touristic attractions.
10. Arizona’s estimated population is 6 million.

The next 10 stock companies are headquartered in Arizona with market caps of over $1 billion.

Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold (FCX) explores, and mines properties in North America, South America, Indonesia, and Africa. The stock has a PE of 10.69, PEG of 0.83, and pays a yield of 2%.

Southern Copper Corp, (PCU) is engaged in the production, and sell of copper, molybdenum, zinc, silver, lead and gold. The stock has a PE of 9.86, PEG of 8.41, and it pays a yield of 9.60%.

First Solar Inc. (FSLR) designs, makes and markets solar electric equipment. The stock has a PE of 90.87, and a PEG of 1.24.

Apollo Group Inc. (APOL) and its subsidiaries are in the business of providing educational programs at levels from high school to university. The stock has a PE OF 31.08, and a PEG of 1.57.

Microchip Technology Inc (MCHP) makes and sells semiconductor products for multiple applications. The stock has a PE of 23.3 and a PEG of 1.53. It pays a yield of 4.10%.

Allied Waste Ind. (AW) is a waste management company , providing the following services from collection to recycling and disposal of nonhazardous waste. The stock has a PE of 17.99, and a PEG of 1.21.

Avnet Inc (AVT) is in the business of distribution of computer software and different electronic components. The stock has a PE of 9.45, and a PEG of 0.61.

ON semiconductor Corp. (ONNN) makes and sells power and data management around the world. The stock has a PE of 17.95 and a PEG of 0.96.

Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (PNW) is in the business of producing, transporting and delivering electricity in the United States. The stock has a PE of 10.34, a PEG of 3.39 and pays a yield of 6.10%.

Petsmart Inc. (PETM) sells foods and goods for animals. It also provides different services. The stock has a PE of 16.77 and a PEG of 1.04. It pays a yield of 0.50%.

Check out stocks from some other states: Hawaii stocks, Alaska stocks, and Oregon stocks.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Stocks in Oregon?

Fred Fuld — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 02:51:00 +0000

When you think of Oregon, you don't normally think of the stock market. However, Portland is the home of a couple of well known Fortune 500 companies. Here are some interesting facts about Oregon:

1. Oregon has no sales tax.
2. It produces 95% of the domestic hazelnuts in the United States.
3. It is the third largest producer of wine in the U.S. with 303 wineries.
4. It is the largest producer of softwood lumber in the U.S.
5. It has one of the largest salmon-fishing industries in the world.
7. Portland has the largest number of breweries of any city in the world.
7. Oregon has the 27th largest Gross State Product in the U.S.
8. Oregon is one of six states with a revenue limit.
9. 55% of state revenues are spent on public education.
10. Last year, Moodys increased Oregon's general obligation bond ratings to Aa2 from Aa3.

The following are stocks of companies that are headquartered in Oregon with market caps above $1 billion.

Nike Inc CL B ( NKE ) designs, manufactures, and sells footwear, apparel, equipment, and other related products. The stock has a PE of 17 , a PEG of 1.16 , and pays a yield of 1.5% .

Precision Castparts Corp ( PCP ) makes and markets metal components in the US and the UK. The stock has a PE of 13 , a PEG of 0.68 , and pays a yield of 0.1% .

Flir Systems Inc ( FLIR ) makes and sells thermal imaging and infrared camera systems. The stock has a PE of 37 , a PEG of 1.49 .

Stancorp Financial Group Inc ( SFG ) is a provider of group insurance products including life and disability insurance. The stock has a PE of 11 , a PEG of 0.93 , and pays a yield of 1.4% .

Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc ( SCHN ) is in the business of recycling ferrous and nonferrous metals, and used and salvaged vehicles. The stock has a PE of 12 , a PEG of 0.69 , and pays a yield of 0.1% .

Porland General Electrical Co ( POR ) is an electric utility which serves the state of Oregon. The stock has a PE of 13 , a PEG of 2.08 , and pays a yield of 3.9% .

Columbia Sportswear ( COLM ) designs and sells outdoor apparel. The stock has a PE of 11 , a PEG of 1.57 , and pays a yield of 1.6% .

Mentor Graphics Corp. ( MENT ) produces software and hardware design products for electronic design automation. The stock has a PE of 1268 , a PEG of 0.91 .

Northwest Natural Gas Co. ( NWN ) is a distributor of natural gas in Oregon and southwest Washington. The stock has a PE of 18 , a PEG of 3.55 , and pays a yield of 3.3% .

Fei Co. ( FEIC ) provides instruments for nanoscale imaging, analysis, and prototyping. The stock has a PE of 28 , a PEG of 2.8 .

For stocks from other states, check out Hawaii stocks, Alaska stocks and Puerto Rico stocks.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Utilities With Heavy Oil and Gas Exposure

Fred Fuld — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 06:59:00 +0000

One way to analyze electric utility stocks is to look at what types of fuel they use to run their generators, and how much exposure to oil and natural gas that they have. If you believe the price of oil and gas has peaked and will continue to drop, then it may be time to take a close look at the electric utility stocks with the highest usage of these fuels.

Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (PNW) has one of the heaviest exposures, with 24% of their electric energy coming from oil and natural gas. About 35% comes from coal and 21.5% from nuclear. This Phoenix, Arizona based company has a PE of 10, a PEG of 3.55 and a yield of 6%.

Westar Energy Inc. (WR) generates about 34% of its energy from natural gas, with 56% from coal and 9% from nuclear. This utility which serves Kansas has a PE of 13, a PEG of 3.28 and a yield of 5%.

Entergy Corp. (ETR) has about 18% of its fuel sources coming from oil and natural gas. 12% is from coal and 33% from nuclear, with the rest purchased. Entergy serves Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, and Louisiana, including the City of New Orleans, where it is based. The stock has a PE of 16, a PEG of 1.19 and a yield of 3%.

OGE Energy Corp. (OGE) has 29% of its energy coming from natural gas, with 51% from coal. They serve the south central United States. The stock has a PE of 13, a PEG of 3.15 and a yield of 4.2%.

Alliant Energy Corp. (LNT) has 28% of its electricity generated from natural gas and 6% from oil. The company serves Iowa and southern Minnesota. The stock has a PE of 9, a PEG of 2.45 and a yield of 4.1%.

Cleco Corp. (CNL), another Louisiana based company, with 14% exposure to natural gas. The stock has a PE of 12, a PEG of 1.09 and a yield of 3.5%.

If you like utility stocks, you should take a look at Highest Yielding Electric Utilities and Highest Yielding Natural Gas Utilities. You can also find an Excel database of utility stocks, which you can download, add to and sort, at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Olympic Stocks

Fred Fuld — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 02:55:00 +0000

The 2008 Summer Olympics are here, and there are several publicly traded companies that are official Worldwide Olympic Sponsors. If you think that being connected to the Olympics can help these companies, it may be worth taking a closer look at these stocks.

Coca Cola (KO) is the famous beverage company. The stock has a PE of 22 , a PEG of 1.9 and pays a yield of 2.70% .

General Electric (GE) the conglomerate involved in technology, media, and financial services. The stock has a PE of 14 , a PEG of 1.22 and pays a yield of 4.20% .

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) famous for its Bandaids, makes and markets various health care products. The stock has a PE of 17 , a PEG of 1.98 and pays a yield of 2.60% .

Kodak (EK) makes and sells photography and digital imaging products. The stock has a PE of 8 , a PEG of 9.59 and pays a yield of 3% .

Lenovo Group (LNVGY.PK) makes and sells technology products and services. The stock has a PE of 13 and pays a yield of 4.70% .

Manulife (MFC) is a life, group life and health insurance company. The stock has a PE of 14 , a PEG of 0.96 and pays a yield of 2.80% .

McDonalds (MCD) is the operator of McDonalds fast food restaurants. The stock has a PE of 17 , a PEG of 1.57 and pays a yield of 2.30% .

Visa (V) is the credit card processing company. The stock has a PE of 27 , a PEG of 1.42 and pays a yield of 0.60% .

If you want an Excel database of all the publicly traded Worldwide Olympic Sponsors, along with the Sponsors, Exclusive Suppliers, and Beijing 2008 Partners, a total of 18 stocks, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Author owns KO, MCD, and V.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

A letter to Warren Buffett

DanielXX — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 06:14:00 +0000

(P.S: Sorry for any disturbances the advertisements above may have caused you)
Dear Sir,

It is too expensive to buy a dinner with you so I thought I'd write instead to highlight an investment proposition to you --- one that would bring you running like an oversexed teenager in a whorehouse.

I am one of your fans, but unlike the countless others who profess their admiration for your investment philosophies and insights I am more a fan because of the enormous wealth that you possess, which makes you the first, second or third richest man in the world at various times, depending on Mr Market's daily evaluations of Microsoft's future and Mexico's potential.

My investment proposition is true to my patriotic nature --- come to Singapore to explore the wonderful bargains available that will allow you to diversify out of the terrible sinking US dollar, which I understand is your prime objective now. You may know that you are not the first one; a former affliate of George Soros is here already, allegedly to teach his happy daughter Mandarin.

This is not a cigar-butt proposition; it is not just a one-puff thing. This is a long-term story, and I happen to know that you absolutely love the long-term. A big ship takes time to turn, so it'll take you a while to switch out of your US assets into the secular rise of Asia --- with its domestic consumption and infrastructure buildup themes --- but you'll see the investment returns well before your breath wears out. And Singapore stands poised at the heart of the Asian story. It is increasingly mentioned in the same breath as the other Asian financial capitals: Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Sydney. It is the logistics heart of Southeast Asia and the transhipment and transit hub of resurgent Asia. Ditto its refining hub; add to that its positioning along the entire value chain from research to services to alternative fuels to trading, plus the abundant resources from its neighbours and you have the makings of an Asian Houston in the future. You have a domestic reflation story, fuelled by government commitment to a rising population, new massive investments (two spanking new casinos) and a likely multi-decade remaking (together with associated investments) of the country towards services and away from manufacturing, and you have what you could call a country PE re-rating (upwards). Currently it is a developed country growing at developing country pace (5-7%). It might be volatile, but that's not a problem with you, I would imagine, you of the Mr Market and his crazy moods analogy.

That's the fundamental story for you.

You were recently quoted as saying that you don't believe a credit crunch will happen, and on this point I agree. There is plenty of cheap money around. Much of the current ready-to-invest money, however, resides in Asia's reserves and the Arabs' petrodollars, as evidenced by the sources of the buying sprees in the recent recapitalisation exercises of your US banks. In the wake of the US financial problems which are leading to downward pressure on both US equities and bonds alike, and given the long-term falling US dollar which reduces attractiveness of Treasuries, I would imagine (as you might have done so ten steps in advance of me) these money would go towards building up their own domestic economies (to cushion export stagnation) AND towards investing in still-buoyant themes --- which is of course Asia as a whole. What Mr Market will not pay in these current times, way-above-market-valuation M&A deals will: just look at the tussle for Rio Tinto (or even Yahoo! in the US). Check out the Middle-East funds and how they're moving acquisition targets from the traditional West to Southeast Asia, China, India. The general point in this is that Asia is the destination of significant liquidity in the absence of credible substitutes (since developed world equities and bonds have become risky), and there're still not many liquid and deep equities markets in Asia which thus limits their options.

That's where Singapore comes in, long-term liquidity-wise.

And sentiment is depression-like, which must surely complete the holy triumvirate of favourable investment criteria in your eyes. I can tell you from Ground Zero that the spectre of the Asian crisis ten years ago still weighs heavy on the guts of many who still want to wait for stock prices to hit rock-bottom before they want to buy. My reading is that should the stock prices hit their predefined level, they will again find excuses not to buy. Thus it is the mirror image of the "buy high, sell higher" mentality in bull markets; now we have the "sell low, buy lower" hope. It would be impolite to brand both as "greater fool" behaviour, though I am tempted. I will instead call it "a decoupling of the right and left brains"*. Local blue-chips have generally corrected 25% off their highs and now trade at 13-14X PE (historically 15-16X), while smaller companies have probably dropped 40-50% on average, in anticipation of a US recession. Among them are China-linked stocks of which about half or more trade at single-digit PEs, even as their Shanghai or HK-listed counterparts continue to trade at three times that PE, and even as we await a wave of Chinese QDII funds fanning out to invest outside China. And the mouth-watering proposition here is that the earnings of most of these companies are not leverage-enhanced ie. they are funded mostly by equity, unlike many US companies which often jazz up asset ownership and profits with debt and financial restructuring. There is capacity for growth with such balance sheet cushion, as you obviously would understand.

That is a cross-sectional view of the Ground Zero sentiment and valuation picture. It brings to mind one of your sayings: "Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when others are fearful".

Finally, I would like to express my admiration for the design of your Berkshire Hathaway website. It is truly one of the most iconoclastic corporate sites I've seen for a US top-10 company. I guess your best friend Bill Gates must have lent you some of his best Web design talent to come up with the site.

By the way, if you should decide to buy stocks on the Singapore market, please let me know which ones in advance since I'm the one who highlighted this proposition.

And last but not least, kateks die pain pain!

Cheers,
Danielxx

* Left brain-right brain: Left-brain focus on logical thinking, analysis, and accuracy. Right-brained subjects, on the other hand, focus on aesthetics, feeling, and creativity.