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On the earnings front, Goldman Sachs ( GS ), Johnson & Johnson ( JNJ ) and Coca-Cola ( KO ) all reported better-than-expected profits pre-bell, with Coca-Cola establishing a new 52-week top of $42.32 in the process. U.S. stocks opened with a strong move to the upside in early dealings, recovering from yesterday's massive sell-off, exacerbated in late trading by news of the Boston Marathon terror attack. More good news on the domestic housing front and tame consumer inflation data, along with solid corporate earnings reports before the bell, have supported the move higher today. | "2013-04-16T00:00:00Z" |
Pre-Market Movers Stocks moving in the pre-market included: Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE: CLF ) shares rose 1.21 percent pre-market after analysts at J.P. Morgan released a note on the company indicating that shares could double in the next year. The cooling inflation does give the European Central Bank room to ease tomorrow should it want to do so. General Mills (NYSE: GIS ) shares fell 0.84 percent pre-market in the wake of its downgrade at Morgan Stanley on Monday. | "2013-04-03T00:00:00Z" |
Earnings Notable companies expected to report earnings Wednesday include: ADTRAN (NASDAQ: ADTN ) is expected to report first quarter EPS of $0.08 vs. $0.20 a year ago. Monday night, Chairman Bernanke hinted that any pullback in easing would start with hikes in the interest on excess reserves (IOER). Reserve Bank of Australia board member Kent spoke overnight saying that cooling inflation data opens the door to more easing while Treasury Secretary Swan said that the Australian dollar remains strongly overvalued. | "2013-04-10T00:00:00Z" |
Expedia (NASDAQ: EXPE ) reported first quarter EPS of $0.25 vs. $0.23 on revenue of $1.01 billion vs. $967.4 million estimate. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg are expecting a growth rate of 3.1 percent in the first quarter with the range of estimates between 2.3-3.3 percent. Commodities Commodities were mostly weaker overnight, giving back strong gains from earlier this week driven by the weaker than expected Japanese inflation data. | "2013-04-26T00:00:00Z" |
Chipotle Mexican Grill ( CMG ) After surging nearly 100 points from lows in the $240 range to near $340 within seven months, this stock has become a top performer. Short selling is a highly effective method toprofit from falling stock prices, but can be risky and is only suitable for more advanced investors who understand the risks involved, which I'll mention later. It's Wall Street's high expectations combined with climbing food prices, sky-high valuations and increased competition from Yum Brands' Taco Bell restaurants. | "2013-04-11T00:00:00Z" |
TheSPDR Gold Trust ( GLD ) had to sell 22 metric tons just last Friday to meet redemptions. A key gauge of wholesale prices registered a sharp drop on Friday, quashing expectations thatinflation was gaining steam (rising inflation boosts demand for hard assets like gold). The cash-strapped country of Cyprus is being asked to sell $525 million worth of gold bullion to pay downdebts , and concerns are growing that other weak European nations might also have to dump their holdings to raisefunds or satisfybailout requirements. | "2013-04-18T00:00:00Z" |
Futures Lower On Chinese Growth, Italian Political Fears U.S. equity futures slipped in early pre-market trade Monday as China's economy took a setback in March and Italy's political crisis flared over the weekend. General Mills (NYSE: GIS ) shares fell 0.63 percent on fears of inflating input costs as commodities guru Jim Rodgers sees strong inflation in the near future in grains and agricultural commodities. Pfizer (NYSE: PFE ) shares rose 0.14 percent pre-market after last week's European Commission approval of a new leukemia drug called BOSULIF. | "2013-04-01T00:00:00Z" |
Upsurge in oil prices and rising core inflation in the emerging markets further added to the woes. UR-Energy Inc. ( URG ) holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) 3. BHP BILLITN LTD (BHP): Free Stock Analysis Report DOMINION DIAMND (DDC): Free Stock Analysis Report UR-ENERGY INC (URG): Free Stock Analysis Report US ENERGY CP-WY (USEG): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. | "2013-04-01T00:00:00Z" |
( FIBK ) on Apr 22. ASSOC BANC CORP (ASBC): Free Stock Analysis Report COMMERCE BANCSH (CBSH): Free Stock Analysis Report FIRST INTST MT (FIBK): Free Stock Analysis Report HUNTINGTON BANC (HBAN): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. The decrease was largely attributable to lower inflation interest on the company's inflation-protected securities and the absence of a special dividend received on a private equity investment in the previous quarter. | "2013-04-12T00:00:00Z" |
The iShares MSCI Indonesia Investable Market Index Fund (NYSE: EIDO ) also earned an Underweight rating from S&P, though that ETF has surged 10.7 percent on a year-to-date basis. EIDO and rival Indonesia ETFs have been buoyed by the country's strong domestic demand story . Amid rising inflation and slack materials demand, the Jakarta Composite and EIDO will likely need strong contributions from discretionary and staples shares to continue to the upside. | "2013-04-16T00:00:00Z" |
The Market Vectors Brazil Small-Cap ETF (NYSE: BRF ) is lower by seven percent. Factoring domestic inflation into the equation means an even murkier outlook for BRF and EWZ in terms of potential upside. Alone, discretionary names account for 34 percent of BRF's weight, according to Van Eck data . | "2013-04-04T00:00:00Z" |
With the latest moves overnight, the Bank of Japan, led by Governor Haruhiko Kuroda, has announced staunch new easing policies aimed at reflating the economy. The news was obviously expected by markets but nevertheless was a strong signal that the Bank of Japan is finally ready to do what it must to tackle deflation and spur growth in the Asian economy. A key indication that the BoJ is becoming effective would be to see inflation creep higher and industry services turn more positive. | "2013-04-04T00:00:00Z" |
A good strategy for investors may be to hold a small position in the SPDR GoldShares ( GLD ) for inflation protection combined with a position in the gold miners for current income. The massive loss in gold over a couple of days led many traders to getmargin calls, when their portfolio values fall below set limits for borrowing capacity. Despite the recent weakness and rumors of Cyprus selling, demand from sovereign nations has been fairly stable as many countries try to diversify their assets away from the constantly depreciating dollar. | "2013-04-24T00:00:00Z" |
Among peers, valuations are also low compared to their own historical levels, and particularly when compared to other key Southeast Asia nations, such as many surging securities in Thailand ( THD ) , or the Philippines ( EPHE ) . Click to get this free report >> ISHARS-MS PH IM (EPHE): ETF Research Reports ISHRS-MSCI THAI (THD): ETF Research Reports MKT VEC-VIETNAM (VNM): ETF Research Reports To read this article on Zacks.com click here. A slow growth rate, higher inflation level, and weak banking system are factors which impacted the Vietnamese economy to a great extent in 2011. | "2013-04-02T00:00:00Z" |
In fact, describing the move in gold as a sell-off is an understatement because the 8% decline is the largest single day loss for the commodity in 3 decades. Unfortunately, as time progressed, patience began to wear thin and investors were seeing their investment values dwindle with no hope of rapidly rising inflationary pressures in sight. Between this morning's (Monday) softer U.S. economic reports, last night's weaker Chinese data and this month's disappointing U.S. retail sales and jobs numbers, there are definite signs that the global recovery is losing momentum. | "2013-04-15T00:00:00Z" |
Fastenal (NASDAQ: FAST ) is expected to report fourth quarter EPS of $0.37 s. $0.40 a year ago. Later today, the minutes of the latest FOMC meeting will be released and markets will be focused on any language related to an exit policy of the Fed. Reserve Bank of Australia board member Kent spoke overnight saying that cooling inflation data opens the door to more easing while Treasury Secretary Swan said that the Australian dollar remains strongly overvalued. | "2013-04-10T00:00:00Z" |
General Mills (NYSE: GIS ) shares fell 0.63 percent on fears of inflating input costs as commodities guru Jim Rodgers sees strong inflation in the near future in grains and agricultural commodities. Futures Lower On Chinese Growth, Italian Political Fears U.S. equity futures slipped in early pre-market trade Monday as China's economy took a setback in March and Italy's political crisis flared over the weekend. Pfizer (NYSE: PFE ) shares rose 0.14 percent pre-market after last week's European Commission approval of a new leukemia drug called BOSULIF. | "2013-04-01T00:00:00Z" |
General Mills (NYSE: GIS ) shares fell 0.84 percent pre-market in the wake of its downgrade at Morgan Stanley on Monday. The cooling inflation does give the European Central Bank room to ease tomorrow should it want to do so. Monsanto (NYSE: MON ) is expected to report second quarter EPS of $2.58 vs. $2.28 a year ago. | "2013-04-03T00:00:00Z" |
The Coca-Cola Company ( KO ) increased 5.29% to $42.21, ending its two-day climb. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the Consumer Price Index, or CPI, decreased by a monthly 0.2% in March on a seasonally adjusted basis. The number of privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits decreased 3.9% in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 902,000. | "2013-04-16T00:00:00Z" |
Coca-Cola ( KO ) rose 3.4% this morning as its earnings per share of $0.46 beat expectations by a penny. Stock futures and gold recovered from yesterday's sharp sell-off this morning as investors await fresh indicators on inflation, housing, and manufacturing. Later this morning the Federal Reserve's monthly index of industrial production is expected to show that output cooled, expanding 0.2% in March after rising 0.7% in February. | "2013-04-16T00:00:00Z" |
With the latest moves overnight, the Bank of Japan, led by Governor Haruhiko Kuroda, has announced staunch new easing policies aimed at reflating the economy. The news was obviously expected by markets but nevertheless was a strong signal that the Bank of Japan is finally ready to do what it must to tackle deflation and spur growth in the Asian economy. A key indication that the BoJ is becoming effective would be to see inflation creep higher and industry services turn more positive. | "2013-04-04T00:00:00Z" |
The yen-hedged Japan-focused db X-trackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity (NYSEArca:DBJP) and the WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund (NYSEArca:DXJ) enjoyed respective gains of 10.68 and 10.25 percent, as optimism toward the BoJ's ability to finally begin reversing the country's quarter-century deflationary period gained ground. The S&P 500 rallied 33.39 points, or 2.14 percent, over the same five-day period ended Thursday, April 11, hitting an all-time record of 1593.37 at the close. The Global X FTSE Greece 20 fund (NYSEArca:GREK) vaulted 11.59 percent as European stocks advanced. | "2013-04-12T00:00:00Z" |
Home to tame inflation, favorable tax rates and a new reform-minded president, it is not surprising that some noteworthy investors are bullish on Mexican sovereigns . As one example of a reason why Mexican corporates are worth a look, Standard & Poor's recently revised its outlook on Mexico's state-run oil giant Petróleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, and that could prompt a credit rating upgrade sometime in the next 18 months. Harper also notes the improving U.S. economy and government reforms initiated by President Enrique Peña Nieto as potential catalysts for Mexican corporates. | "2013-04-01T00:00:00Z" |
Enbridge Energy witnessed sharp downward estimate revisions after reporting disappointing fourth-quarter 2012 results. The partnership reported fourth-quarter 2012 adjusted earnings of 18 cents per unit, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 26 cents. Notably, Enbridge Energy's distribution growth prospects are closely linked to the successful completion of organic growth projects, which in turn might be adversely affected by operational hindrance, cost inflations and overruns, as well as delays in completion. | "2013-04-17T00:00:00Z" |
With the latest moves overnight, the Bank of Japan, led by Governor Haruhiko Kuroda, has announced staunch new easing policies aimed at reflating the economy. The news was obviously expected by markets but nevertheless was a strong signal that the Bank of Japan is finally ready to do what it must to tackle deflation and spur growth in the Asian economy. A key indication that the BoJ is becoming effective would be to see inflation creep higher and industry services turn more positive. | "2013-04-04T00:00:00Z" |
Last November, WisdomTree tinkered with DXJ's benchmark to tilt it toward exporters-companies that have done well as the yen has weakened due to stimulus measures that have sought to bring Japan out of its deflationary doldrums. WisdomTree, the publicly traded New York-based ETF firm, is looking to expand on the blockbuster success it's had with the WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund (NYSEArca:DXJ) by putting into the regulatory pipeline a small-cap version of DXJ. It's that type of focus on exporters and companies with a global footprint that has helped its broader counterpart, DXJ, do so well. | "2013-04-10T00:00:00Z" |
Monday night, Chairman Bernanke hinted that any pullback in easing would start with hikes in the interest on excess reserves (IOER). Reserve Bank of Australia board member Kent spoke overnight saying that cooling inflation data opens the door to more easing while Treasury Secretary Swan said that the Australian dollar remains strongly overvalued. The EUR/USD was higher at 1.3097 as Japanese money flows into European bonds in search of yield and the dollar gained against the yen to 99.43 as the pair tries to make a run at the dreaded 100 level. | "2013-04-10T00:00:00Z" |
In fact, describing the move in gold as a sell-off is an understatement because the 8% decline is the largest single day loss for the commodity in 3 decades. Unfortunately, as time progressed, patience began to wear thin and investors were seeing their investment values dwindle with no hope of rapidly rising inflationary pressures in sight. Between this morning's (Monday) softer U.S. economic reports, last night's weaker Chinese data and this month's disappointing U.S. retail sales and jobs numbers, there are definite signs that the global recovery is losing momentum. | "2013-04-15T00:00:00Z" |
This is a chart of West Texas Intermediate ( WTI ) crude oil prices. Thatbullish movement has been driven by big institutional investors sending capital into commodities, withhedge andfund managers increasing theirnet long positions across a basket of 18 U.S.futures and options markets by 10% in the week ended March 26. With monetary stimulation from the central banks of the world fueling potentialinflation , the stage is set for crude to make another run to its all-time high above $147 per barrel this summer. | "2013-04-05T00:00:00Z" |
Before selling two goldstocks this week [New Gold ( NGD ) and NovaGold Resources ( NG )], gold miners represented just 3.2% of my portfolio assets. A key gauge of wholesale prices registered a sharp drop on Friday, quashing expectations thatinflation was gaining steam (rising inflation boosts demand for hard assets like gold). The cash-strapped country of Cyprus is being asked to sell $525 million worth of gold bullion to pay downdebts , and concerns are growing that other weak European nations might also have to dump their holdings to raisefunds or satisfybailout requirements. | "2013-04-18T00:00:00Z" |
The iShares MSCI Mexico Capped Investable Market Index Fund (NYSE: EWW ) is the largest Mexico-specific ETF in the world with nearly $2.9 billion in assets under management. As Japan sought to weaken the yen and engineer higher inflation, benefiting Japanese equities along the way, investors poured $8 billion into ETFs tracking the world's third-largest economy, according to the iShares data. U.S. sector funds attracted $3.4 billion in new assets last month with financials, real estate, health care and consumer cyclicals leading the way, according to the iShares data. | "2013-04-02T00:00:00Z" |
Earnings Notable companies expected to report earnings Wednesday include: ConAgra Foods (NYSE: CAG ) is expected to report third quarter EPS of $0.57 vs. $0.51 a year ago. The cooling inflation does give the European Central Bank room to ease tomorrow should it want to do so. General Mills (NYSE: GIS ) shares fell 0.84 percent pre-market in the wake of its downgrade at Morgan Stanley on Monday. | "2013-04-03T00:00:00Z" |
Thursday's major earnings reports include IBM ( IBM ), Google ( GOOG ), Morgan Stanley ( MS ), and Chipotle Mexican Grill ( CMG ). After Tuesday's bounce, traders were starting to throw up their hands and assume we would rally back to highs like we have done repeatedly so far this year, but yesterday's sell-off has reinvigorated bears. The intense sell-off of the Gold ETF (NYSEARCA:GLD) after it broke below its major support level of $148.50 shows that the Fed's actions are becoming incrementally less effective, and worries of deflation are resurfacing again. | "2013-04-18T00:00:00Z" |
Tuesday, April 30, 2013 Does it make sense for the stock market to be in record territory at exactly the time when the economic and earnings data is pointing towards troubles ahead? No it does not, unless of course investors were using the weak data as a proxy for continued support from the Federal Reserve. Expectations remain high that the ECB will announce a rate cut at its meeting this week, with today's tame inflation and high unemployment readings further raising those hopes. | "2013-04-30T00:00:00Z" |
Healthcare Services Group (NASDAQ: HCSG ) reported fourth quarter EPS of $0.22 vs. $0.19 expected on revenue of $273.9 million on estimates of $281.34 million. Monday night, Chairman Bernanke hinted that any pullback in easing would start with hikes in the interest on excess reserves (IOER). Reserve Bank of Australia board member Kent spoke overnight saying that cooling inflation data opens the door to more easing while Treasury Secretary Swan said that the Australian dollar remains strongly overvalued. | "2013-04-10T00:00:00Z" |
Spot gold prices jumped 1.41% to $1,427 an ounce.SPDR Gold Shares ( GLD ) popped 1.78% to 137.88. Some market watchers attribute the sell-off the prior two weeks, in which gold lost 15%, to fears the Federal Reserve will end quantitative easing earlier than expected. The U.S. is struggling to stoke inflation and will have to maintain its easy monetary policy through the end of 2014 at least, Dan Denbow, assistant vice president of equity portfolios at USAA Investments, told clients Monday in a note. | "2013-04-22T00:00:00Z" |
His top consumer defensive stock pick is Coca-Cola ( KO ), followed by second and third choices Procter & Gamble Co. ( PG ) and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. ( WMT ). Bass' largest position in the sector, Tempur-Pedic International Inc. ( TPX ) is a $2.78 billion market cap mattress and pillow company with a presence in 80 countries. The international exposure is consistent with Bass' admonition in a CNBC interview this week to own productive assets such as global businesses that sells things in different currencies to protect against inflation he sees looming. | "2013-04-05T00:00:00Z" |
In fact, describing the move in gold as a sell-off is an understatement because the 8% decline is the largest single day loss for the commodity in 3 decades. Unfortunately, as time progressed, patience began to wear thin and investors were seeing their investment values dwindle with no hope of rapidly rising inflationary pressures in sight. Between this morning's (Monday) softer U.S. economic reports, last night's weaker Chinese data and this month's disappointing U.S. retail sales and jobs numbers, there are definite signs that the global recovery is losing momentum. | "2013-04-15T00:00:00Z" |
The Bottom Line GOLD is currently Zacks Rank # 5 (Strong Sell) stock and it also has a longer-term recommendation of "Underperform". We believe that gold should continue to be a small part of investors' portfolio due to its lower correlation with other asset classes and inflation hedging ability. Gold miners have had a rough ride in the recent months due to the slide in gold prices. | "2013-04-24T00:00:00Z" |
ADRs of state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA ( PBR ), also known as Petrobras, was up the best part of 3%. Latin American markets are mostly higher in late Wednesday trade, with Brazil's Ibovespa index a standout having risen close to 2%, its fourth straight advance, supported by strong Chinese trade data and slower than expected domestic inflation figures last month. Brazilian inflation as measured by the benchmark IPCA index climbed 0.47% during March, trailing the median estimate of 38 economists surveyed by Bloomberg looking for a 0.50% increase. | "2013-04-10T00:00:00Z" |
Herbalife ( HLF ) beat expectations for first-quarter earnings, booking earnings per share of $1.10 as revenue climbed 17% yearly to $1.1 billion. The rise in spending and fall in unemployment reflects improving confidence in Japan as the government embarks on a radical plan to jolt the economy back to life with fiscal and monetary stimulus. Increasing unemployment and slowing inflation provide a backdrop for Thursday's European Central Bank announcement; the ECB is widely expected to cut rates to mitigate the situation. | "2013-04-30T00:00:00Z" |
Notable reports include Ocwen Financial ( OCN ), Beazer Homes ( BZH ), Monster Worldwide ( MWW ), LinkedIn ( LNKD ), Kraft (KRFT), and Kellogg (K). On the report after the call, ISM Chairman Nieves mentioned that declining prices were causing companies to put orders on hold, which is a longer term positive for the economy. More than 60% of economists are expecting the ECB to cut its main refinancing rate to 0.50% from 0.75% in response to falling inflation and slowing economic growth. | "2013-05-01T00:00:00Z" |
The gap between inflation expectations and inflation targets as defined by intermarket analysis is fairly large now, which continues to mean that something's gotta give. Emerging markets remain the next fat pitch for us, and some strength does appear to be kicking in. This is an issue worth paying attention too as large buybacks in particular tend to occur at/near market peaks for a simple reason -- companies tend to have 'too much' cash when things are peaking and confidence in the future is at extremely high levels. | "2013-05-03T00:00:00Z" |
Following are Sentiment charts for S&P 500 (NYSE:SPY), DOW Jones, and NASDAQ (NASDAQ:QQQ). The week, however, was off to a bullish start, with investors bidding up equities on the heels of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's prepared statements ahead of his appearance before Congress. "A premature tightening of monetary policy could lead interest rates to rise temporarily but would also carry a substantial risk of slowing or ending the economic recovery and causing inflation to fall further," said Bernanke. | "2013-05-28T00:00:00Z" |
That is good enough to be better than the comparable China and Russia ETFs and slightly worse than the WisdomTree India Earnings ETF (NYSE: EPI ). As CNBC notes raising rates to quell inflation exacerbates another problem that Brazil's President Dilma Rouseff is trying to solve, that being Brazil's decrepit infrastructure. Major emerging markets such as India, South Korea, Thailand and Turkey have recently lowered borrowing costs. | "2013-05-30T00:00:00Z" |
Merck ( MRK ) fell 3.13% to $45.53. The Federal Reserve announced after its two-day meeting that it will maintain its current pace of buying $85 billion worth of bonds, and it will lower or raise the amount of purchases as labor market and inflation conditions evolve. The Mortgage Bankers Association, or MBA, reported today in its Weekly Application Survey that the Market Composite Index, which measures mortgage loan application volume, increased a seasonally adjusted 1.8% week-over-week for the week ended April 26. | "2013-05-01T00:00:00Z" |
St. Louis Fed President James Bullard told CNBC that inflation needs to move closer to target before QE is tapered. ECB head, Mario Draghi said that the euro zone was more stable than one year ago and that the region needed more integration with the U.K. as a part of that, according to CNBC. Asia Pacific Markets The Nikkei rebounded from Thursday's plunge by gaining at the open but couldn't find the continued buying interest. | "2013-05-24T00:00:00Z" |
“Precious metals have experienced volatile trading this week, dropping to its lowest level in two and a half years,” said Dave Gedeon, Managing Director, NASDAQ OMX Global Indexes. “Changing inflation expectations and sustained strength in the US Dollar has curbed the demand for gold and silver as a long-term investment vehicle.” NASDAQ Commodity Natural Gas Index ER (NQCINGER) gained 4.2% this past week as forecasts for warmer-than-normal weather suggested likely increased demand from power plants. | "2013-05-22T00:00:00Z" |
This was in spite of media and Wall Street's negativity toward the greenback (NYSEARCA:UDN) and bullishness toward gold (NYSEARCA:IAU) and silver (NYSEARCA:AGQ). The PowerShares DB 3X levered long was a similar story and rose over 10% from its low of $19.29 on February 1 to over $22 in March where our firm advised taking profits. For now, I trust my eyes, and glancing at the next chart tells me that perhaps there are other factors that are mitigating real inflation and proving the decline in purchasing power (NYSEARCA:TIP) thus far is an overblown facade. | "2013-05-07T00:00:00Z" |
Notable US earnings include Carlyle Group ( CG ), Nvidia ( NVDA ), priceline.com ( PCLN ), Skechers (SKX), and Sotheby's (BID). The company will buy back $500 million in common stock and pay a $0.06 quarterly dividend with the goal of returning $1 billion to shareholders over the next three years. Abroad, China will release consumer and producer prince inflation data and the Bank of England will make its monthly rate decision. | "2013-05-08T00:00:00Z" |
One like the WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund (NYSE: DXJ ) or ProShares UltraShort Yen (NYSE: YCS ) if you're looking for a levered play. There are plenty of domestic stocks that don't require you to have in-depth knowledge of a country that sits on the other side of the world but there might be an investment in this story. Newly re-elected Prime Minister, Shinzō Abe is taking the, "go big or go home" approach to what has become a deflationary economy. | "2013-05-10T00:00:00Z" |
Gap, Inc. (NYSE: GPS ) reported EPS of $0.71 with revenues of $3.73 billion Salesforce.com Inc. (NYSE: CRM ) reported EPS of $0.10 with revenues of $839 million. St. Louis Fed President James Bullard told CNBC that inflation needs to move closer to target before QE is tapered. ECB head, Mario Draghi said that the euro zone was more stable than one year ago and that the region needed more integration with the U.K. as a part of that, according to CNBC. | "2013-05-24T00:00:00Z" |
One like the WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund (NYSE: DXJ ) or ProShares UltraShort Yen (NYSE: YCS ) if you're looking for a levered play. There are plenty of domestic stocks that don't require you to have in-depth knowledge of a country that sits on the other side of the world but there might be an investment in this story. Newly re-elected Prime Minister, Shinzō Abe is taking the, "go big or go home" approach to what has become a deflationary economy. | "2013-05-10T00:00:00Z" |
This was in spite of media and Wall Street's negativity toward the greenback (NYSEARCA:UDN) and bullishness toward gold (NYSEARCA:IAU) and silver (NYSEARCA:AGQ). The PowerShares DB 3X levered long was a similar story and rose over 10% from its low of $19.29 on February 1 to over $22 in March where our firm advised taking profits. For now, I trust my eyes, and glancing at the next chart tells me that perhaps there are other factors that are mitigating real inflation and proving the decline in purchasing power (NYSEARCA:TIP) thus far is an overblown facade. | "2013-05-07T00:00:00Z" |
The Materials Select Sector SPDR (XLB) gained 0.9%. Among the top ten S&P 500 industry groups, materials stocks emerged as the biggest gainers while utilities were the only losers. Last week, the Federal Reserve had decided to continue ongoing monetary stimulus until inflation declines to 2.0% and the unemployment rate touches 6.5%. | "2013-05-09T00:00:00Z" |
No effect Stocks will tank Stocks will rise Stocks will range-trade SPDR-SP5 VL (SPYV): ETF Research Reports SPDR-FINL SELS (XLF): ETF Research Reports SPDR-CONS DISCR (XLY): ETF Research Reports To read this article on Zacks.com click here. The Big Ben Statement In today's Bernanke briefing on the Hill, his big statement was- "A premature tightening of monetary policy could lead interest rates to rise temporarily but would also carry a substantial risk of slowing or ending the economic recovery and causing inflation to fall further." (5) Bernanke feels current monetary policy cannot fully offset the coming GDP budget loss. | "2013-05-22T00:00:00Z" |
Funds in this space, such as the ultra-popular VWO and EEM , have been lagging the U.S. market for much of 2013, but have finally turned it around the past few weeks. So with the rupee finally bottoming out (at least for now), and inflation seemingly under control, many investors have decided to take another look at India ETFs for an investment. This has crushed the broad market over the same time frame and many other emerging market indexes as well; EEM and VWO have produced returns of roughly 5.5% in the same time frame. | "2013-05-09T00:00:00Z" |
Consumer Staples (NYSEARCA:XLP) - Is Mean Reversion Over? Gayed, my father, in the second edition re-release of Intermarket Analysis and Investing Below is an assessment of the performance of some of the most important sectors and asset classes relative to each other, with an interpretation of what underlying market dynamics may be signaling about the future direction of risk-taking by investors. My firm's ATAC (Accelerated Time and Capital) models used for managing our mutual fund and separate accounts remain defensive given the direction of inflation expectations. | "2013-05-02T00:00:00Z" |
Notably, the Australian dollar was strong across the board following the employment data and the cable rose ahead of the Bank of England's interest rate decision. Monster Beverage (NASDAQ: MNST ) shares declined 12.41 percent pre-market following its weaker earnings report. Brands (NYSE: YUM ) shares rose 1.4 percent pre-market as inflation in China slows, easing pressure on margins. | "2013-05-09T00:00:00Z" |
The fund seeks to match the performance of the Bank of New York (BNY) Mellon New Frontier DR Index, before fees and expenses. The BNY Mellon describes frontier market countries based on the GDP growth, per capita income growth, past and expected inflation rates, privatization of infrastructure and social inequalities. Rationale Behind Investment Additionally, the region is characterized by positive demography, unleveraged balance sheets and strong consumption demand. | "2013-05-20T00:00:00Z" |
Pittsburgh Corning is a leading maker of cellular glass insulation for a range of residential, commercial and industrial applications. PPG Industries has a diversified business, both in terms of products offered and geographical presence. However, the European market is expected to remain under pressure and raw material inflation and currency headwinds remain concerns for the company. | "2013-05-29T00:00:00Z" |
This was in spite of media and Wall Street's negativity toward the greenback (NYSEARCA:UDN) and bullishness toward gold (NYSEARCA:IAU) and silver (NYSEARCA:AGQ). The PowerShares DB 3X levered long was a similar story and rose over 10% from its low of $19.29 on February 1 to over $22 in March where our firm advised taking profits. For now, I trust my eyes, and glancing at the next chart tells me that perhaps there are other factors that are mitigating real inflation and proving the decline in purchasing power (NYSEARCA:TIP) thus far is an overblown facade. | "2013-05-07T00:00:00Z" |
Notable reports include Ocwen Financial ( OCN ), Beazer Homes ( BZH ), Monster Worldwide ( MWW ), LinkedIn ( LNKD ), Kraft (KRFT), and Kellogg (K). On the report after the call, ISM Chairman Nieves mentioned that declining prices were causing companies to put orders on hold, which is a longer term positive for the economy. More than 60% of economists are expecting the ECB to cut its main refinancing rate to 0.50% from 0.75% in response to falling inflation and slowing economic growth. | "2013-05-01T00:00:00Z" |
Additionally, the rate cuts indicate the State Bank feels comfortable with Vietnam's inflation situation and that could prove to be a positive catalyst for VNM in the coming months. Market Vectors Vietnam ETF (NYSE: VNM ) On Friday, the State Bank of Vietnam announced it will pare its refinancing rate to 7 percent from 8 percent and lower the discount rate to 5 percent from 6 percent. VNM is trading lower by almost 1.1 percent Friday, but the ETF is in position finish with a weekly gain. | "2013-05-10T00:00:00Z" |
Taking a page from a 1980s after-school special, it is not unreasonable to say central banks in the Asia-Pacific region this week succumbed to a line of thinking akin to "C'mon. In addition to the rate cut headline, news that George Soros is short the Australian dollar and that Stanley Druckenmiller is also bearish on the currency have weighed on the Aussie. Additionally, the rate cuts indicate the State Bank feels comfortable with Vietnam's inflation situation and that could prove to be a positive catalyst for VNM in the coming months. | "2013-05-10T00:00:00Z" |
Helped by an interest rate cut that was made possible by cooling inflation and news that a bad debt asset management company is finally coming to fruition, the Market Vectors Vietnam ETF (NYSE: VNM ) will likely finish the month of May with a gain of more than eight percent. VNM was up 10.5 percent for the month before Friday, but is currently down 1.5 percent. Oil market volatility is an ever-present issue for NGE as is banking system fragility for VNM. | "2013-05-31T00:00:00Z" |
Consumer Staples ( XLP ) - Is Mean Reversion Over? Gayed, my father, in the second edition re-release of Intermarket Analysis and Investing Below is an assessment of the performance of some of the most important sectors and asset classes relative to each other, with an interpretation of what underlying market dynamics may be signaling about the future direction of risk-taking by investors. Conclusion A significant repricing appears to be underway with money favoring cyclical trades which have lagged throughout the deflation pulse, and defensives which have illogically driven markets higher. | "2013-05-08T00:00:00Z" |
The Utilities SPDR (XLU) lost 0.9%. Among the top ten S&P 500 industry groups, materials stocks emerged as the biggest gainers while utilities were the only losers. Last week, the Federal Reserve had decided to continue ongoing monetary stimulus until inflation declines to 2.0% and the unemployment rate touches 6.5%. | "2013-05-09T00:00:00Z" |
No effect Stocks will tank Stocks will rise Stocks will range-trade SPDR-SP5 VL (SPYV): ETF Research Reports SPDR-FINL SELS (XLF): ETF Research Reports SPDR-CONS DISCR (XLY): ETF Research Reports To read this article on Zacks.com click here. The Big Ben Statement In today's Bernanke briefing on the Hill, his big statement was- "A premature tightening of monetary policy could lead interest rates to rise temporarily but would also carry a substantial risk of slowing or ending the economic recovery and causing inflation to fall further." Tapering the Fed's quantitative easing (QE) each month would send long-term bond yields higher. | "2013-05-22T00:00:00Z" |
Alcoa ( AA ) closed unchanged on the day. Continue reading for more on today's market, including : Schaeffer's Senior Trading Analyst Bryan Sapp points out where to "buy on weakness" in the short term. 3 Things to Know About Today's Market : The Consumer Price Index (CPI) posted its biggest drop since December 2008, declining 0.4% in April to fall short of economists' estimates for a 0.2% pullback. | "2013-05-16T00:00:00Z" |
Friday's Earnings Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF ) is expected to report EPS of -$0.05 with revenues of $942.86 million. St. Louis Fed President James Bullard told CNBC that inflation needs to move closer to target before QE is tapered. ECB head, Mario Draghi said that the euro zone was more stable than one year ago and that the region needed more integration with the U.K. as a part of that, according to CNBC. | "2013-05-24T00:00:00Z" |
Among the top ten S&P 500 industry groups, materials stocks emerged as the biggest gainers while utilities were the only losers. Last week, the Federal Reserve had decided to continue ongoing monetary stimulus until inflation declines to 2.0% and the unemployment rate touches 6.5%. The company said the decrease in earnings is because of legal expenses and allegations that it markets highly caffeinated drinks to children. | "2013-05-09T00:00:00Z" |
Earlier today, a trader purchased 5,000 January 2014 $47 puts in EWZ on the offer for $2.37 per contract, according to Option Monster . Hampered by the global commodities slowdown, rising inflation and slack economic growth , EWZ has plunged more than 10 percent in the past year. EWZ has found support at $50 multiple times over the past two years , but buyers could be tired of defending that area. | "2013-06-04T00:00:00Z" |
Vanguard is moving assets in some target funds out of longer-dated TIPS and into the Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index ( VTIPX ), and the ETF version is Vanguard Asset Allocation Fund ( VTIP ). VTIP's average duration is 2.5 years, versus a whopping 8.5 years for the traditional TIPS fund. Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke hinted Wednesday the Fed may start unwinding its extraordinary bond-buying program later this year, causing stock and bond prices to plunge. | "2013-06-21T00:00:00Z" |
The iShares MSCI Thailand Capped Investablemarket index ETF ( THD ) , for example, has dropped from $95 to $79 in just one month, with some of that weakness attributable to currency effects as the Thai baht slides. (Investors who suffered through the Asian currency crisis of 1998 probably don't want to hear about the baht, which utterly collapsed 15 years ago.) Those countries had been suffering from an overly robust currency in recent years, which made their (non-commodity) exports uncompetitive and introduced inflationary pressures from rising import prices. | "2013-06-13T00:00:00Z" |
As pointed out by Warren Buffett , the percentage of total market cap (TMC) relative to the U.S. GNP is "probably the best single measure of where valuations stand at any given moment." In all the three approaches discussed above, the fluctuations of profit margin are eliminated by using GDP, the average of trailing 10-year inflation-adjusted earnings, and peak-P/E, revenue, or book value, etc. This confirmed again the conclusions of earlier studies: The aggregated activities of insiders can serve as a good indicator for locating the market bottoms. | "2013-06-07T00:00:00Z" |
Among the Dow's 30 components, all but Merck ( MRK ) and Microsoft ( MSFT ) finished in the black. Continue reading for more on today's market, including : " Managing risk " ahead of the Fed announcement is crucial, according to Schaeffer's Senior Trading Analyst Bryan Sapp. 3 Things to Know About Today's Market : The Labor Department's consumer price index (CPI) rose by a seasonally adjusted 0.1% in May, compared to expectations for a 0.2% increase. | "2013-06-18T00:00:00Z" |
Other year-to-date returns for ETFs tracking countries with female leaders: iShares MSCI Australia Index Fund (NYSEARCA:EWA), though Julia Gillard was ousted Wednesday, down 8.7%. Global X FTSE Argentina 20 ETF (NYSEARCA:ARGT) Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is arguably to blame for much of her country's economic woes such as slowing growth, soaring inflation and an albeit diminished flirtation with a second sovereign debt default this century. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, once wildly popular, is dealing with one of the most stunning reversals in recent memory of an emerging market going from darling to devil in short order. | "2013-06-27T00:00:00Z" |
Merck ( MRK ) , for example, has rallied nearly 50% since October 2011, and its yield has fallen from above 5% to a recent 3.6%. It started running in 1980, when a series of interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve finally broke the back ofinflation , and it galloped onward for more than three decades. As I noted last week, drug stocks traded for a number of years withdividend yields in excess of 5% to compensate for a lack of share price growth. | "2013-06-19T00:00:00Z" |
That performance is noticeably worse than that of the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund (NYSE: EEM ) and the iShares MSCI Mexico Capped Investable Market Index Fund (NYSE: EWW ). Earlier today, a trader purchased 5,000 January 2014 $47 puts in EWZ on the offer for $2.37 per contract, according to Option Monster . Hampered by the global commodities slowdown, rising inflation and slack economic growth , EWZ has plunged more than 10 percent in the past year. | "2013-06-04T00:00:00Z" |
Japanese equities bounced higher today after the strong US data releases on Thursday and Prime Minister Abe vowed that his ambitious growth strategies will widen in the fall. The Bank of Japan's May minutes showed that the central bankers are in favor of a two-year limit to unprecedented anti-deflation measures to quiet bond market volatility. Energy and food costs drove producer prices up more than expected in May. | "2013-06-14T00:00:00Z" |
The BND was entered after selling IAU on 12/21/12, and is down 2.3%. The entire notion that equities out-perform bonds over the long-run is based on a single episode, from about 1950 to about 1970, when inflation accelerated unexpectedly. My view is that such scenarios are significantly under appreciating just how messed up global labor markets remain, but that is the subject matter for another piece I'm still working on. | "2013-06-16T00:00:00Z" |
Toyota ( TM ) In fact, its latest quarterly profits were blowout positive, as fourth-quarternet profit doubled to more than $3 billion. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's aggressive monetary policies, known as "Abenomics," are starting to work their magic on theeconomy , creating an opportunity for forward-thinkingstock investors. Abe's policy of weakening the yen, major fiscal spending and generating 2%inflation by 2014 has sent the Japanese stock markets soaring higher. | "2013-06-06T00:00:00Z" |
The product has outperformed the most popular Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF ( VGK ), iShares MSCI EMU Index Fund ( EZU ) by wide margins. Click to get this free report >> ISHARS-GERMANY (EWG): ETF Research Reports ISHARS-EMU IDX (EZU): ETF Research Reports VANGD-FTSE EUR (VGK): ETF Research Reports To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Germany has a stable labor market, high level of employment with wage increases, moderate inflation and a low government deficit, suggesting that the country is still on a relatively solid footing compared to the other Euro zone members. | "2013-06-24T00:00:00Z" |
Precious metals as well as the SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF (NYSEARCA:XHB) lead the market nosedive on decreasing inflation expectations, with the homebuilders index tumbling more than 5%. Markets sold off around the globe after yesterday's Fed meeting and the Chinese credit crunch. The Philadelphia regional manufacturing survey showed greater than expected growth, reporting a reading of 12.5 against the -1.0 consensus. | "2013-06-20T00:00:00Z" |
Groupon Inc ( GRPN ) shares rallied 7.29% after Deutsche Bank upgraded the stock to a buy. Japanese equities bounced higher today after the strong US data releases on Thursday and Prime Minister Abe vowed that his ambitious growth strategies will widen in the fall. The Bank of Japan's May minutes showed that the central bankers are in favor of a two-year limit to unprecedented anti-deflation measures to quiet bond market volatility. | "2013-06-14T00:00:00Z" |
Casey's General Stores (NASDAQ: CASY ) shares declined 2.07 percent pre-market following the earnings miss. Earnings Reported Yesterday Key companies that reported earnings Thursday include: Casey's General Stores (NASDAQ: CASY ) reported fourth quarter EPS of $0.60 vs. $0.62 expected on revenue of $1.81 billion vs. $1.83 billion expected. Eurozone inflation continued to drag along at low levels in May as the CPI rose 0.1 percent in the month, in line with expectations. | "2013-06-14T00:00:00Z" |
Other stocks in the group, from commercial food products distributorSysco ( SYY ) to cigarette and snack wholesalerCore Mark ( CORE ), have faced a more difficult pricing environment. During those years, wholesalers have worked to retake a measure of control by pursuing new levels of "value-add," the process of improving or altering foods to make them more tasty or convenient. The company has a much more diverse product mix than a specialist like Green Mountain, but it has been stymied by, among other things, the Federal Reserve's strategic effort to tamp down the inflation rate. | "2013-06-14T00:00:00Z" |
Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 3X SharesETF ( NUGT ) Talking about thisexchange-traded fund ( ETF ) right now would seem foolhardy. And for investors who still expected the Federal Reserve's aggressive stimulus efforts to eventually fuel inflation, patience was starting to wear thin. One possible scenario for a gold price rebound: The Fed's retreat from QE means that we're moving into the next phase of a grand government financing experiment that has no precedent. | "2013-06-24T00:00:00Z" |
FRNs are unlikely to be added to the BAGG index (TIPS are also not included), so TR managers may be slow to adopt them since they won't have an incentive to purchase simply to maintain a benchmark-like risk-return profile. Later this year or early next, the U.S. Treasury is scheduled to issue its first new form of security since Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities ( TIPS ) in 1997: Treasury Floating-Rate Notes (FRNs). On May 1, the Treasury announced its intention to issue two-year FRNs. | "2013-06-18T00:00:00Z" |
In ETF land, the 12-month yield on the iShares S&P National AMT-Free Muni Bond (NYSEARCA:MUB) is just under 3%. A New York Times article titled " Why Many Retirees Could Outlive a $1 Million Nest Egg " said: "For people close to retirement, the problem is acute. But under current conditions, if they spend that $40,000 a year, adjusted for inflation, there is a 72 percent probability that they will run through their bond portfolio before they die." | "2013-06-11T00:00:00Z" |
Today's calendar focuses on housing and inflation, but the Federal Reserve remains a dominant theme. Higher numbers could be interpreted bearishly because it might increase the case for the Fed to halt quantitative easing--a major question tomorrow when the central bank announces interest rates and holds a press conference in the afternoon. Housing starts are expected to increase at an annualized pace of 950,000, up from 853,000 in April. | "2013-06-18T00:00:00Z" |
Each month we sell covered calls on ETFs that track a few different asset classes: stocks (NYSEARCA:DIA), gold (NYSEARCA:GLD), and US real estate investment trusts (NYSEARCA:VNQ). A New York Times article titled " Why Many Retirees Could Outlive a $1 Million Nest Egg " said: "For people close to retirement, the problem is acute. But under current conditions, if they spend that $40,000 a year, adjusted for inflation, there is a 72 percent probability that they will run through their bond portfolio before they die." | "2013-06-11T00:00:00Z" |
That group of funds was hit by a tidal wave of bad news Monday, sending the marquee names including EWZ and the Market Vectors Brazil Small-Cap ETF (NYSE: BRF ) to new 52-week lows. Standard & Poor's sees a decent chance that it will have to lower Brazil's sovereign credit rating, currently BBB, in the next year, Forbes reported . "The Brazilian economy remains trapped in a poor equilibrium of sluggish below-trend growth, high inflation, misaligned currency, eroded external competitiveness, and weak policy credibility," said Goldman Sachs economist Alberto Ramos in a note. | "2013-06-17T00:00:00Z" |
The iShares MSCI Germany Index Fund (NYSEARCA:EWG) is up 0.6% while the iShares MSCI Thailand Investable Market Index Fund (NYSEARCA:THD) is down 5.5%. Global X FTSE Argentina 20 ETF (NYSEARCA:ARGT) Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is arguably to blame for much of her country's economic woes such as slowing growth, soaring inflation and an albeit diminished flirtation with a second sovereign debt default this century. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke are men and guess what the two biggest risks to South Korea's economy are. | "2013-06-27T00:00:00Z" |
That performance is noticeably worse than that of the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund (NYSE: EEM ) and the iShares MSCI Mexico Capped Investable Market Index Fund (NYSE: EWW ). Earlier today, a trader purchased 5,000 January 2014 $47 puts in EWZ on the offer for $2.37 per contract, according to Option Monster . Hampered by the global commodities slowdown, rising inflation and slack economic growth , EWZ has plunged more than 10 percent in the past year. | "2013-06-04T00:00:00Z" |
In fact, the SPDR Gold Trust ETF (NYSEARCA:GLD) and iShares Gold Trust ETF (NYSEARCA:IAU) have never had a down year for as long as they have been around. Gold has been one of the most talked about hard assets of the last two years, as the metal soared to all-time highs, only to watch its price take a tumble in the months that followed. This has all happened despite the current $85 billion monthly printing from Ben Bernanke and the Fed, which many thought would spark inflation thereby sending gold higher. | "2013-06-18T00:00:00Z" |
Earnings Notable companies expected to report earnings Friday include: NGL Energy Partners (NYSE: NGL ) is expected to report fourth quarter EPS of $1.03 vs. $0.73 a year ago. Eurozone inflation continued to drag along at low levels in May as the CPI rose 0.1 percent in the month, in line with expectations. Casey's General Stores (NASDAQ: CASY ) shares declined 2.07 percent pre-market following the earnings miss. | "2013-06-14T00:00:00Z" |
It most heavily weightsUS Bancorp ( USB ) at 21% of assets,PNC Financial Services ( PNC ) 12% andBB&T (BBT) 7%. The Federal Reserve has pledged to hold down short-term interest rates near zero until inflation hits 2% and the unemployment falls below 6.5%, which could take years. "(BofA Merrill) data show that mortgage credit for housing purchases or refinancing has improved in the past 18 months, but from a very low base." | "2013-06-13T00:00:00Z" |
Below we highlight three ETFs launched recently, that in our view will reward investors nicely over the longer term. Global X Nigeria Index ETF ( NGE ) OPEC's sixth largest and Africa's largest oil producer- Nigeria offers tremendous opportunity (though with high risk) to investors. After the banking crisis of 2009, the country's policymakers introduced some significant reforms in financial markets that have resulted in better capitalization and profitability of banks, stable exchange rate and lower inflation. | "2013-06-07T00:00:00Z" |
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