One great thing about my position here as Director of Marketing is my extensive contact list. I say that because I have access to thousands of excellent traders, investors, and economists at my finger tips! So when things around the world catch my attention, I can quickly find someone who can give me the skinny on what’s really going down. One of my contacts is Nicholas Vardy, Editor, The Global Guru, and he’s got a MUCH better pulse on the world aboard then I do. That’s why I asked him to give us his reasons why the markets outside the US are doing so well and WHY!

He told me he’d love to get feedback from the Trader’s Blog readers, so let’s not let him down! You can also visit The Global Guru to get his new report on his favorite global picks.

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Make Your Fortune from the

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Weak volumes and prices drive losses United States Steel Corporation (X) recorded its third sequential loss -- $3.03 billion or $2.11 per share in the third quarter of 2009 in contrast to a net income of $9.19 billion or $7.79 per share in the third quarter of 2008. However, losses narrowed sequentially and were lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $2.91. On a year-over-year basis, revenues were down 61% to $2.82 billion, driven by a 35% year-over-year decline in total steel shipments to 4.2 million tons. However, shipments increased 41% quarter on quarter. The company saw lower year-over-year volumes and prices across all major segments on the back of a slump in the economy. Additionally, increasing competition from China and weak demand in major markets, especially Europe, which resulted in lower capacity utilization have impacted results. Two of the company’s ...

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – October 13, 2009 – Zacks Equity Research highlights Amphenol Corporation (APH) as the Bull of the Day and Palm (PALM) the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on United States Steel Corporation (X), Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (CLF) and ArcelorMittal (MT).

Full analysis of all these stocks is available at http://at.zacks.com/?id=2676

Here is a synopsis of all five stocks:

Bull of the Day:

Amphenol Corporation (APH) is scheduled to release its fiscal Q3 results on October 15. The company stated that though the economic environment remains uncertain, there was a stabilization of demand in most markets.

We remain optimistic about Amphenol's long-term growth prospects in the mobile devices business. Demand for mobile phones remains strong. Beyond mobile phones, the company continues to expand the use of its products into fast

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On Oct. 9, United States Steel Corporation’s (X) wholly owned subsidiary U.S. Steel Canada Inc., ArcelorMittal Dofasco and Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (CLF) have agreed to sell their respective interest in the Wabush Mines joint venture to a Montreal-based steel mining company, Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines Ltd., for $120 million. Wabush Mines owns and operates iron ore mining and pellet facilities in Newfoundland in the U.S. and Labrador and Quebec in Canada. Wabush's total rated annual production capacity is 6.4 million tons of iron ore pellets. U.S. Steel holds 44.6%, ArcelorMittal Dofasco holds 28.6% and Cliffs Natural Resources holds 26.8% in the joint venture. Completion of the transaction is subject to a right of first refusal held by the third owner - Cliffs. ArcelorMittal (MT), the world's largest steelmaker, will receive $34.28 million for its interest. Consolidated Thompson plans to finance the transaction with ...

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – September 17, 2009 – Zacks.com releases the latest Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks featured in this week’s analysis include D.R. Horton (DHI), KB Home (KBH), Pulte Homes (PHM), Allstate (ALL), Hartford Financial Services (HIG), Travelers (TRV), Loews (L), Humana (HUM), Stericycle (SRCL), C.R. Baird (BCR), Celgene (CELG), Gilead Sciences (GILD), Anadarko Petroleum (APC), EOG Resources (EOG), AK Steel (AKS), Nucor (NUE), U.S. Steel (X), Fifth Third (FITB), Regions Financial (RF), Suntrust Banks (STI) and Zions Bancorp (ZION).

Zacks Industry Rank Analysis is written by Charles Rotblut, CFA, Senior Market Analyst for Zacks.com.

This week: Third-Quarter Earnings Forecast

Though the economy has stabilized, third-quarter results for the majority of companies will still be below year prior levels.

Per share profits for the S&P

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Though the economy has stabilized, third-quarter results for the majority of companies will still be below year prior levels.

Per share profits for the S&P 500 are projected to fall 15.4%. The median company is forecast to report a 14% drop in per share earnings. (The difference being that the S&P 500 forecast is a weighted projection.) More than 340 companies may have experienced a year-over-year drop in profits.

On a revenue basis, things are not much better. Median company sales are forecast to have dropped 7.2%.* More than 360 companies are expected to report a year-over-year drop in earnings.

It's important to realize that during July and August 2008, the economy was in fairly good shape. Lehman did not collapse until September 2008. Furthermore, the credit crunch's grip severely tightened over the 2-month span of September and October 2008. As a result, many companies are now facing tough

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“Work eight hours and sleep eight hours and make sure that they are not the same hours.”

– T. Boone Pickens

Inflation can do tricky things to markets. It creates distortions. In those distortions, an intrepid investor can find some big moneymaking ideas. I think we’ve got one opening up in oil and gas, and it is not without precedent in financial markets. In fact, it’s starting to look a little like the tail end of the 1970s in some respects.

In the spring of 1969, the Dow Jones industrial average stood at 969. By 1982, the Dow hit 1,071. That’s thirteen years of going nowhere. (We’ve had 10 years or so of going nowhere, though the ride between the poles has been anything but boring).

The problem is inflation makes that performance

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United States Steel Corp. (X) is restarting its blast furnace at its Hamilton, Ontario plant as steel demand edges higher after a nine-month shutdown.

Demand for U.S. Steel’s flat-rolled steel has improved after bottoming in April and May, this year and is likely to improve going forward. The largest steel producer in the U.S. expects mill-operating rates to exceed 50% in the current quarter, up from 32% in the prior period.

U.S. Steel acquired the Hamilton and Nanticoke plants in Ontario from Canadian peer Stelco Inc. for about $1.1 billion in 2007. The Hamilton operation has an annual production capacity of about 2 million tons. The facility also consists of galvanizing lines and a cold mill. However, the company does not plan to restart these for now.

U.S. Steel had closed the Hamilton blast furnace in November 2008. It suspended the remaining operations at Hamilton and the Nanticoke

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The workers of the largest steel producer in the U.S., United States Steel Corporation (X), are supporting a bid made by Lakeside Steel, a steel pipe and tubing manufacturer in Welland, Ontario to take over U.S. Steel's Ontario production assets. U.S. Steel had acquired the Ontario assets when it bought Stelco Inc. for about $1.1 billion in 2007. On August 5, 2009, Lakeside had filed for an intervener status in the federal government's action against U.S. Steel. U.S. Steel had violated commitments for production and employment when it had temporarily shut down most of the Ontario operations in March this year due to weak steel demand. The company’s facilities are operating at barely half their capacity. U.S. Steel’s production of 5 million tons in July 2009 was the highest monthly output this year, but it was 41.6% lower than July 2008. The company has laid off ...

U.S. stocks edged up slightly higher, after swinging back and forth in a narrow range, as investors preferred to remain on the sidelines.  After yesterday’s better-than-expected reports on housing and consumer confidence, investors looked for fresh signs to help restart a rally that has catapulted major indexes to multi-month highs. 

Yesterday, fifteen of the thirty DJIA components closed higher; 245 of the S&P500 closed up and 42 of the NASDAQ100 finished on higher ground.  Trading was subdued with NYSE volume of 1.05 billion well below last year's average of 1.49 billion.  The DJIA gained 4 points to close virtually flat at 9543; the NASDAQ and S&P500 each recorded gains of 0.01%.  Declining issues beat those that advanced eight to seven.  Treasuries were mixed after the government successfully auctioned $39 billion in five-year notes.  The Treasury is scheduled to auction $28 billion of 7-year notes today.

Five of the S&P500

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