In 2011, the S&P 500 began the year with remarkable fanfare. The benchmark raked in 2.4% in January alone. And yet, in 2012, the S&P 500 has been even more impressive, snagging an eye-popping 4.4%. The reasons for the risk-on gains may be easy to identify, from the notion that U.S. economic prospects are improving to the feeling that Europe will contain [...] Continue Reading...
Less than 60% of all U.S. corporations have beaten analyst estimates for Q4 profits. Revenue numbers are equally questionable, as the “beat rate” is only 54%. Both readings are the weakest since the bull market in stocks began in March of 2009. Bespoke Research Group points out that forward guidance has been equally disconcerting. By analyzing the spread between the percentage of corporations raising guidance (expectations) [...] Continue Reading...
Romney ETFs, Obama ETFs, Canada ETFs, Precious Metals ETFs Click here to listen to the show: 01-29-2012 Continue Reading...
Copper is one of the world’s most popular metals. It is used in everything from water pipes to radiators to air conditioning systems. Some will say that the industrial metal posesses a Ph.D. in economics… it is that critical to world GDP growth. One country alone is responsible for about 40% of the world’s copper reserves and roughly 35% of copper [...] Continue Reading...
Bernanke and the Federal Reserve have chosen a path of less resistance. Specifically, they’re going to do whatever it takes to keep interest rates negligible… all the way out to 2014! And Ron Paul doesn’t have the muscle or the media to stop them. Record-low rates may be great for borrowers who qualify for home loans. However, banks remain [...] Continue Reading...
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper isn’t too pleased that Obama rejected the Keystone XL pipeline, a vessel that would have shipped crude from Alberta’s oil sands to the Gulf of Mexico. However, on Thursday, Harper described the exporting of Canadian energy as a “national priority” and pledged to fast-track regulatory approval. In contrast, U.S. natural gas producers are still hoping to get the “thumbs up”on natural gas [...] Continue Reading...
It wasn’t that long ago that gold bears were sticking a fork in the yellow metal. And they had several reasons. The $300+ per ounce price drop was not attracting tons of bargain-hunters. What’s more, the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) had fallen below its 200-day trendline for the first time since 2009. That said, precious metals have reclaimed their luster [...] Continue Reading...
In 2011, U.S. financial stocks collectively posted the worst performance of the 10 major economic segments. Not only did the SPDR Select Sector Financial Fund (XLF) decline 17%, but the P/E ratio for the sector contracted 22%. In 2012, the skies have been a little brighter for banks, insurers and property developers. The S&P 500 SPDR Trust (SPY) has [...] Continue Reading...
Morningstar used to be a one-trick pony. The company rated mutual funds… and they weren’t particularly good at it. For instance, in 1999, nearly every investment in the Janus stable held 4 or 5 stars. The primary reason? Janus products demonstrated superior performance on a relative basis in most stock categories over popular time frames (e.g., 1 year, 3 year, etc.). Did [...] Continue Reading...
Dividend Growth ETFs, Dividend Appreciation ETFs, Biotech ETFs, Hedging With ETFs, ETF Hedging, ETF Strategic Diversification Click here to listen to the show: 1-22-2012 Continue Reading...
