Monday, September 29, 2008

Sarah Palin Stock Portfolio


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 Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Stocks Going Ex Dividend Mid October

Surprisingly, there are 20 different stocks going ex-dividend on October 8. Whenever we are having a rising stock market, some investors use a 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 being entitled to the dividend. Please note: this 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. Remember that, 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%.

Sims Group Limited (SMS) Ex-div date: 10/7/2008 Yield: 4.0% .

Genworth Financial, Inc. (GNW) Ex-div date: 10/8/2008 PE: 9 PEG: 0.97 Yield: 3.8% .

Lincoln National Corporation (LNC) Ex-div date: 10/8/2008 PE: 13 PEG: 1.28 Yield: 3.4% .

Masco Corporation (MAS) Ex-div date: 10/8/2008 PE: 41 PEG: 3.30 Yield: 4.9% .

NSTAR (NST) Ex-div date: 10/8/2008 PE: 16 PEG: 2.50 Yield: 4.1% .

Progress Energy, Inc. (PGN) Ex-div date: 10/8/2008 PE: 15 PEG: 2.28 Yield: 5.6% .

Tomkins plc (TKS) Ex-div date: 10/8/2008 PE: 16 PEG: 2.97 Yield: 11.0% .

Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) Ex-div date: 10/8/2008 PE: 16 PEG: 1.80 Yield: 5.4% .

WGL Holdings, Inc. (WGL) Ex-div date: 10/8/2008 PE: 15 Yield: 4.2% .

WPP Group plc (WPPGY) Ex-div date: 10/8/2008 PE: 12 Yield: 4.1% .

Universal Corporation (UVV) Ex-div date: 10/9/2008 PE: 14 Yield: 3.6% .

Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte (OMAB) Ex-div date: 10/9/2008 Yield: 6.8% .

Corus Entertainment Inc. (CJR) Ex-div date: 10/10/2008 PE: 12 PEG: 0.89 Yield: 3.1% .

Mid-America Apartment (MAA) Ex-div date: 10/10/2008 PE: 79 PEG: 12.72 Yield: 4.9% .

Shaw Communications Inc. (SJR) Ex-div date: 10/13/2008 PE: 14 PEG: 0.84 Yield: 3.7% .

BB&T Corporation (BBT) Ex-div date: 10/15/2008 PE: 13 PEG: 2.06 Yield: 4.8% .

Saul Centers, Inc. (BFS) Ex-div date: 10/15/2008 PE: 30 PEG: 6.92 Yield: 4.0% .

Foot Locker, Inc. (FL) Ex-div date: 10/15/2008 PE: 39 PEG: 2.82 Yield: 3.4% .

Morgan Stanley (MS) Ex-div date: 10/15/2008 PE: 245 PEG: 19.73 Yield: 4.0% .

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 owns OMAB.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Free Stuff for Stock Traders

You may think that resources for stock market traders are expensive. However, there are many items for investors and traders, including books and magazines, which are available without charge. Here are ten worth checking out.

Free iPhone Investment Applications

There are several applications designed investors, which are available for the Apple (AAPL) iPhone which can be downloaded for free. For example, Bloomberg has a great iPhone app which provides the latest financial news, stock info, and more. There is another free app called iThread which is a database of hundreds of technology companies, along with who invested in them, who they invested in, contact information, officers, and much more. Great for venture capitalists or those that are looking for venture capital. If you are an investor in real estate, you can check out the Trulia app, which finds homes for sale and open houses in your area. To access these applications, just click on the App Store icon, then the Search icon, type in 'Stock', and click Search.

Free Trading Magazine

A free subscription to SFO Magazine is available, which covers stocks, futures, options, forex and ETF's. This magazine, which has been around for a long time, is designed for the individual trader and is great for reading on a train or plane. By the way, SFO stands for Stocks, Futures, Options.

Free Investing E-Books

You can get
13 Free Stock Market E-Books
, all in a pdf format which can be downloaded and read on your computer or printed out. These are provided by swing-trade-stocks.com

Free Stock Market Games

A free stock market game, using a Virtual Stock Exchange, also known as a Stock Market Simulation or Fantasy Stock Market, which allows you to practice your trading for free, is available from howthemarketworks.com. A stock market simulator game is also available from investopedia.com

Free Stock Screeners

There are plenty of free stock screeners out there, and if you have an online brokerage account, they probably have a screener on their site. There are several other sites that have free screeners available including Yahoo! Finance, thestreet.com, and MarketWatch.com.

Free Investment Paperback Books

You can receive a free stock market book, offered by traderslibrary.com. You can choose from one of eight different investment books.

Free Investment Newsletters

There are lots of investing related email newsletters that you can subscribe to. At thestreet.com, you can subscribe to eight investment newsletters with one registration.

Free Top Hedge Fund Info

Have you ever wondered what the top hedge funds and top mutual funds are investing in? Want to follow in their footsteps, piggyback on their stockholdings? You could spend many hours combing through SEC records to get this info, or you could do it the easy way, by going to Stockpickr.com, which has all that information at your fingertips for free.

Free Investment Spreadsheet Templates

There are several free investment related Excel spreadsheet templates available from 18stocks.com, such as ' How Long to Become a Millionaire' and 'Stock Recovery Analysis'. If you are looking towards retirement, you may want to get a free retirement analyzer spreadsheet template from WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Free Stock Certificate Valuation

Have an old stock certificate from a company like Enron, WorldCom, or Global Crossing or maybe you just have an old stock certificate that you inherited from your grandmother? Want to find out what it is worth as a collectible? Maybe you want to get rid of it for tax loss purposes, or just turn your trash into cash. You can get a free valuation of your old stock certificate as a collectible at AntiqueStocks.com.

By Stockerblog.com

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Eva Longoria Speaks for Microsoft, Her Index Outperforms the Dow


Last year, I developed the Eva Longoria Stock Index. Since Eva is now appearing on the new Microsoft (MSFT) TV commercials, replacing Jerry Seinfeld, I thought it would be appropriate to update her index for this year.

Components of the Eva Longoria Stock Index:

Hanes (HBI) celebrity endorsement

New York & Company (NWY) celebrity endorsement

BEBE (BEBE) SPORT celebrity endorsement

Magnum ice cream brand owned by Unilever (UN) - celebrity endorsement

Pepsi (PEP) celebrity endorsement

Range Rover made by Land Rover, subsidiary of Ford Premier Automotive Group, a division of the Ford Motor Company (F) - celebrity endorsement

Starred in Desperate Housewives produced by ABC Television owned by Disney (DIS), also starred in ABC's remake of Dragnet

Starred in The Young and the Restless produced by Sony Pictures Television a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is a division of Sony (SNE)

Microsoft (MSFT) 'I'm a PC' television commercial cameo appearance celebrity endorsement [this stock not involved in the index in above chart as this is a new endorsement]

Assumptions:
This is price-weighted index, similar to the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Dividends were included.

Returns:
Over the six month time period shown, the Eva Longoria Stock Index was down only 4%, versus the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which was down 8.7%.

Check out additional celebrity stock indices such as Gisele Bundchen, Heidi Klum, and Angelina Jolie.

Author owns F, DIS, and MSFT.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Seven Stocks Selling for Over $2000 a Share

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

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Guest Article: Where Gold is Headed in the Next 6 Months

Where Gold is Headed in the Next 6 Months

by Adam Hewison

We are the government, we're here to help.

I believe the only help the government gave us last week was pushing gold prices higher. During last week's massive bailout and intervention in the credit markets one of the few markets to close higher for the week was gold. This tells you a tremendous amount about how traders are thinking about the future.

These are extraordinary times we are living in, and we have to take advantage of what the markets are offering us at the moment. The fact that there was no follow-through today in the equity markets tells me that there's so many questions about this bailout that are yet to be ironed out. That in turn creates more uneasiness in the marketplace.

I still believe that stocks are in a bear market and that we can see a trade down to the 10,000 level basis the DOW. Having said that, I would be trading gold from the long side until our "Trade Triangle" Technology points to a change in trend direction. With the t echnicals all in place, and the fundamentals certainly pointing to higher gold prices, I think traders should be looking at this market from the long side. Some of our cyclic work indicates that gold could be strong until February or March of 2009.

Enjoy the video. It's short and it's available now with our compliments.
http://www.ino.com/info/249/CD3111/&dp=0&l=0&campaignid=3

Every success trading,

Adam Hewison
President, INO.com
Co Creator, MarketClub.com

Stocks that Went Up when the Market Tanked

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

Monday, September 22, 2008

New Microsoft TV Commercials Now Airing

Jerry Seinfeld is out, Eva Longoria is in, in the new Microsoft (MSFT) television commercials. The new ads are more mainstream, more in the style of the 'Come to California' commercials. In the Microsoft ad, a series of people, including Eva Longoria, say 'I'm a PC'. If you watch much TV, you'll see the ad.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Do We Really Want Microsoft to Take Over Yahoo


The above is a spoof of what the Yahoo home page might look like if Microsoft took over Yahoo. Can you see where to log into Yahoo mail? Can you see where to do a web search?

It may sound heresy to say this, especially since I own Yahoo (YHOO) at a loss, but maybe it is just as well that the company didn't get taken over by Microsoft (MSFT), which I also own. Have you looked at the Vista operating system? No wonder so many companies are unwilling to upgrade.

Or even Office 2007. Have you upgraded from 2003? Do you like losing all the menus? Have you tried looking for Headers and Footers in Microsoft Word 2007? Have you tried looking for the drawing toolbar in Excel 2007 to draw an arrow on a spreadsheet [don't bother looking, the drawing toolbar no longer exists], or tried doing charts the old fashioned way?

Why would Microsoft get rid of the menus that so many Office users are used to and replace them with tabs and ribbons? Why no option to change to Classic View? Are they just trying to keep the software training companies and software how-to book publishers in business?

The final straw is those two commercials with Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld, for which Seinfeld was paid $10 million. Those commercials have now been withdrawn. What was Microsoft selling? Brand recognition??? Obviously, you can blame the advertising agency, but it is the company that makes the final decision on the ads.

I really like Yahoo! Finance, and so do 18 million other people every month. I would hate to see the top American financial web site 'change'.

Maybe there are better business partners for Yahoo. Here are a few suggestions, some of which may be considered a bit of a stretch, of possible buyers: Apple (AAPL), Sony Corp. (SNE), News Corp. (NWS-A), Viacom (VIA-B), Disney (DIS), CBS Corporation (CBS), and even Time Warner (TWX). I think even Amazon (AMZN) would be a better fit.

Author owns YHOO, MSFT, DIS, AMZN, and TWX.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Friday, September 19, 2008

When the Real Estate Market Will Bottom


If you are looking for a home to buy to live in, you probably won't get hurt looking for a house to buy now. However, if you are looking for the real bottom in the housing market, either an investment property or a home for yourself, the best day to buy will be November 25, 2009. If you buy on that day, plan on closing December 24, 2009. However, if you miss buying around that time next year, you shouldn't worry about it, as this real estate 'recession' will last for a few years, as it always has in the past. [Unless things will be different this time, which I highly doubt.]

I'm still seeing too many foreclosures, too many vacant homes for sale, too many vacant homes that aren't for sale, and too many 'amateur' and 'newbie' real estate investors jumping into the real estate market, thinking that they can buy a fixer-upper, fix it up, and resell at a quick profit.

Of course, another way to play the real estate market besides owning property directly, is to invest in Real Estate Investment Trusts.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Trivia: What is the Smallest Stock Exchange in the World?

If you measure stock exchanges by how many stocks they have listed, the smallest stock in the world is the Douala Stock Exchange also known as the DSX, based in Cameroon. This exchange has had only only one listing since its founding in 2001, Société des Eaux Minérales du Cameroun (SEMC). However, in May of this year, they just added their second issue, Société Africaine Forestière et Agricole du Cameroun (SAFACAM). The exchange also trades government bonds, however those are considered unlisted securities.

There are a lot of interesting exchanges around the world, including exchanges that trade carbon emissions. One is the Climate Exchange.

War Stocks


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

How to Double Your Return in a Rising Market (without margin, without calls)

If you think the stock market has bottomed, there is a way to double your return of the rise in the market, without buying stocks on margin, and without buying call options. You can do that by buying Ultra ETF's.

An ETF or Exchange Traded Fund is structured to track various stock indices, and the Ultra ETFs are structured to provide double the performance of those indices. Most are traded on the American Stock Exchange. Depending on the ETF, it may even pay a yield. Here are several Ultra ETF's which will should rise by twice as much as the index that are tracking. You just need to pick the Ultra ETF for the sector or index that you think should perform the best.

Ultra Basic Materials ProShares (UYM) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Basic Materials index.

Ultra Consumer Goods ProShares (UGE) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Consumer Goods index.

Ultra Consumer Services ProShares (UCC) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Consumer Services index.

Ultra Dow30 ProShares (DDM) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Ultra Financials ProShares (UYG) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Financials index.

Ultra Health Care ProShares (RXL) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Health Care index.

Ultra Industrials ProShares (UXI) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Industrials index.

Ultra MidCap400 ProShares (MVV) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the S&P MidCap 400 index.

Ultra Oil & Gas ProShares (DIG) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Oil & Gas index.

Ultra QQQ ProShares (QLD) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the NASDAQ 100 Index.

Ultra Real Estate ProShares (URE) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate index.

Ultra Russell MidCap Growth ProShares (UKW) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the Russell MidCap Growth index.

Ultra Russell MidCap Value Proshares (UVU) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the Russell MidCap Value index.

Ultra Russell1000 Growth ProShares (UKF) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the Russell 1000 Growth index.

Ultra Russell1000 Value ProShares (UVG) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the Russell 1000 index.

Ultra Russell2000 Growth ProShares (UKK) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the Russell 2000 Growth index.

Ultra Russell2000 ProShares (UWM) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the Russell 2000 index.

Ultra Russell2000 Value ProShares (UVT) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the Russell 2000 Value index.

Ultra S&P SmallCap600 ProShares (SAA) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the S&P SmallCap 600 Index.

Ultra S&P500 ProShares (SSO) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the S&P 500 index.

Ultra Semiconductor ProShares (USD) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Semiconductor index.

Ultra Technology ProShares (ROM) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Technology index.

Ultra Telecommunications ProShares (LTL) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Telecommunications index.

Ultra Utilities ProShares (UPW) has a goal of producing twice the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Utilities index.

If you want to be really aggressive, you can consider investing in the UltraShort ETFs, which are structured to provide twice the return [or loss] from the movement in the index. Or if you just want to protect yourself on the downside, you can invest in regular short ETFs. You can also find an Excel database of short ETFs, which can be downloaded, sorted, and changed, at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Stocks for Adults Only

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

How to Make Money in a Falling Stock Market (without shorting, without puts)

Many investors believe that we are in a bear market, and they want to profit from that situation. They may be afraid of shorting stocks, and with regards to puts, some investors don't understand them, and others just don't like the premium, the volatility, and the expiration. For some investors, Short ETFs are an alternative.

An ETF or Exchange Traded Fund is structured to track various stock indices or the inverse of various stock indices. Most are traded on the American Stock Exchange. Depending on the ETF, it may even pay a yield. Here are several ETF's which will rise when stocks drop.

Short Dow30 ProShares (DOG) has a goal of the inverse of the daily performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average index. In other words, when the Dow drops, this ETF goes up. The fund has a yield of 2.53% .

Short Financials ProShares (SEF) goes up when the Dow Jones U.S. Financials index goes down.

Short MSCI EAFE ProShares (EFZ) goes up when the MSCI EAFE index goes down. MSCI EAFE is a stock market index of foreign stocks, Morgan Stanley Capital International, Europe, Australasia, and Far East.

Short MSCI Emerging Markets ProShares (EUM) goes up when the MSCI Emerging Markets index goes down.

Short MidCap400 ProShares (MYY) goes up when the S&P MidCap 400 index goes down. The fund has a yield of 3.55% .

Short Oil & Gas ProShares (DDG) goes up when the the Dow Jones U.S. Oil & Gas index goes down.

Short QQQ ProShares (PSQ) goes up when the the NASDAQ 100 index goes down. The fund has a yield of 3.13%.

Short Russell2000 ProShares (RWM) goes up when the Russell 2000 index goes down. The fund has a yield of 1.72% .

Short S&P SmallCap600 ProShares (SBB) goes up when the S&P SmallCap 600 index goes down. The fund has a yield of 2.68% .

Short S&P500 ProShares (SH) goes up when the the S&P 500 index goes down. The fund has a yield of 2.62% .

If you want to be really aggressive, you can consider investing in the UltraShort ETFs, which are structured to provide twice the return [or loss] from the movement in the index. You can also find an Excel database of short ETFs, which can be downloaded, sorted, and changed, at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Stocks Going Ex Dividend Early October

Whenever we are in a bull market, investors use a 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 being entitled to the dividend. Please note: this usually only works in rising markets.

If you are interested in buying dividends, there are several stocks in several different sectors and industries to choose from. Remember that, 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, PEs below 20, PEGs below 2, and yields over 3%.

Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (BMY) Ex-dividend date: 10/1/2008 PE ratio: 20 PEG ratio: 1.91 Yield: 5.8%

Erie Indemnity Company (ERIE) Ex-dividend date: 10/1/2008 PE ratio: 18 Yield: 3.8%

Kimco Realty Corporation (KIM) Ex-dividend date: 10/1/2008 PE ratio: 31 PEG ratio: 4.25 Yield: 4.3%

Superior Industries International Inc. (SUP) Ex-dividend date: 10/1/2008 PE ratio: 42 PEG ratio: 2.79 Yield: 3.3%

Toronto-Dominion Bank (USA) (TD) Ex-dividend date: 10/1/2008 PE ratio: 12 PEG ratio: 1.24 Yield: 4.1%

Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. (WDR) Ex-dividend date: 10/1/2008 PE ratio: 16 PEG ratio: 1.08 Yield: 3.1%

DCT Industrial Trust Inc. (DCT) Ex-dividend date: 10/2/2008 PE ratio: 271 PEG ratio: 50.62 Yield: 9.3%

The Bank of Nova Scotia (USA) (BNS) Ex-dividend date: 10/3/2008 PE ratio: 12 PEG ratio: 1.52 Yield: 4.5%

Sovran Self Storage, Inc. (SSS) Ex-dividend date: 10/6/2008 PE ratio: 22 Yield: 6.2%


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 Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Nicole Kidman Stock Index


Nicole Kidman is the most overpaid actress in Hollywood, according to a recent report by Forbes Magazine.

Components of the Nicole Kidman Stock Index:

News Corp. (NWS-A) which owns 20th Century Fox, distributor of the movies Australia and Moulon Rouge! in which she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. Appeared in commercials for SKY Italia is an Italian digital satellite television platform owned by News Corporation.

Time Warner (TWX) Warner Brother's which distributed Margot at the Wedding, The Invasion, Happy Feet, in which she did a voiceover, Eyes Wide Shut, Fur, plus the New Line Cinema division's The Golden Compass.

Sony (SNE) Columbia Pictures distributed the movies Bewitched and Dogville.

Viacom (VIA-B) Paramount Pictures distributed Margot at the Wedding, The Stepford Wives, and The Hours, for which she won an Academy Award for Best Actress.

Disney (DIS) division Miramax distributed Cold Mountain, The Human Stain, and was the international distributor of The Hours.

General Electric (GE) division Universal Pictures, distributed The Interpreter.

Nintendo ADR (NTDOY.PK) face of their advertising campaign for the Nintendo DS games Brain Training and More Brain Training.

Assumptions:
This is price-weighted index, similar to the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Dividends were included.

Returns:
Over the six month time period shown, the Nicole Kidman Stock Index was down only 6.1%, versus the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which was down 10.3%.

Check out additional celebrity stock indices such as Gisele Bundchen, Heidi Klum, and Angelina Jolie.

Author owns TWX and DIS.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Monday, September 15, 2008

Wyoming Stocks


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

Friday, September 12, 2008

Guest Article: Wasn't crude oil supposed to go to 200 a barrel?

Guest article by Adam Hewison, President, INO.com

Wasn't crude oil supposed to go to 200 a barrel?

It's true, the rumors were circulating heavily when crude oil was trading at 145 a barrel that it was going to be hitting 200 a barrel in a matter of days or weeks at the very latest. Well, that never happened. Crude oil learned that gravity plays a part in every commodity market's life.

The pullback in crude oil, given the fact that a major hurricane named Ike is shooting for the gulf, is not so surprising given the history of the commodity markets. Often times we see pressure coming into a market months ahead of the actual news that either production has been increased or demand fluctuation has changed the dynamics of the marketplace.

Take a few minutes and watch this short video and see how we have been looking at crude oil. Afterwards, check out our track record in this market for the past 12 months.

I hope you find time to quickly browse through this video as it will certainly give you some good trading tips on how to improve your own trading.


http://www.ino.com/info/244/CD3111/&dp=0&l=0&campaignid=3


Every success trading and every success in life.

Adam Hewison
President, INO.com
Co-Creator of MarketClub.com

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Keep on Trucking Stocks


With the price of oil dropping, investors are looking at the sectors and industries with high fuel exposure that may benefit from the reduction in oil prices. One of those industries is the trucking industry. Here are a selection of the trucking stocks with market caps over $500 million.

Arkansas Best Corporation (ABFS) is a provider of less-than-truckload motor carrier transportation services. The stock has a PE of 14 and a PEG of 1.53 . The stock also pay a yield of 1.9% .

Con-way Inc. (CNW) is in the business of logistics, transportation, and supply chain management. The stock has a PE of 16 and a PEG of 1.23 . The stock also pay a yield of 0.9% .

Forward Air Corporation (FWRD) is a provider is surface transportation and related logistics services. The stock has a PE of 21 and a PEG of 1.65 . The stock also pay a yield of 0.8% .

Heartland Express, Inc. (HTLD) is a short and medium haul truckload carrier. The stock has a PE of 24 and a PEG of 2.30 . The stock also pay a yield of 0.5% .

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (JBHT) is a provider of surface transportation. The stock has a PE of 25 and a PEG of 2.20 . The stock also pay a yield of 1.1% .

Knight Transportation (KNX) provides dry van truckload and temperature controlled truckload carrier services. The stock has a PE of 30 and a PEG of 2.19 . The stock also pay a yield of 0.9% .

Landstar System, Inc. (LSTR) provides transportation and logistics services. The stock has a PE of 24 and a PEG of 1.52 . The stock also pay a yield of 0.3% .

Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) is a a less-than-truckload multi-regional motor carrier. The stock has a PE of 17 and a PEG of 1.21 .

Universal Truckload Services, Inc. (UACL) is a truckload motor carrier in the US and Canada. The stock has a PE of 25 and a PEG of 2.18 .

Werner Enterprises, Inc. (WERN) is in the business of transportation and logistics. The stock has a PE of 25 and a PEG of 2.37 . The stock also pay a yield of 0.9% .

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Stockerblog.com Exclusive: Interview with Ken Fisher – Part 8 – Final Segment

Stress and Investing

Stockerblog.com had the pleasure of recently interviewing Ken Fisher, head of the $45 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.

This is the final segment of the interview. If you missed any of the earlier segments of the interview, you can check them out at: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, and Part 7.

Stockerblog.com: I have one other question. I'm assuming that from time to time when you do make mistakes, when you invest in a sector that goes against you, it creates stress. Is there anything that you do to deal with stress?

Fisher: No, not particularly, but I don't think I feel stress as much as most people do. First, I've been at this a long time. Secondly, I've got myself, as I mentioned earlier, real conditioned to the notion that I'm going to make a lot of mistakes, so no particular mistake seems like a big deal to me. I think I've always been lucky that I don't seem to feel stress as much as most people feel stress. But I don't have some special stress reduction technique. There's not like I go in the corner and breathe a certain way or do a certain exercise or go running. I don't particularly do something about stress.

Stockerblog.com: That's kind of interesting that you're conditioned to know that you are going to make mistakes. If you are aware of that ahead of time, I'm sure that can help.

Fisher: But, you know, if I were in a different field, like let's say ice skating, if you're a competitive ice skater, you just can't make any kind of mistake anybody can see, because it just comes right out of your points. If you made one of those mistakes that you see on one of these ice skaters that go and do one of these flippy flip things, they go flying through the air, they come down and go splat, you feel really sorry for them. They are out there really trying and they go splat in front of everybody. The world that I come from, is one where it's more like every time you go out to do the ice skating, a pretty good chunk of everything you do is mistakes. So you've got to get used to it.

Therefore the next mistake is just one more in the process, and so you don't beat yourself up for it too much; you know, you think about somebody like, I'm making this up out of thin air, some musical performers, and they get up in front of the crowd at Carnegie Hall, there in the middle of their performance, and twenty percent of the time, they hit the wrong notes. People wouldn't relate to that very well. I'm in a world where it you hit the wrong notes twenty percent of the time, in the long term, you're thought of as one of the greatest performers ever. So hitting a few wrong notes means nothing.

Stockerblog.com: So as long as you are right roughly two thirds of the time, you're probably in good shape.

Fisher: Yeah, but think of what that means if you are playing music by contrast. I think that most people think like the world of the musician or the ice skater, so when they make a mistake, it's nothing but a terrible catastrophe that leads to being stressed, and they haven't quite gotten themselves to this notion that you're actually going to make less mistakes if you stop worrying about making mistakes.

Another way that I remember that, when I was a boy, it was almost a part of the United States Constitution that boys had to play baseball. So I played baseball. Now I wasn't that good of a baseball player but I played baseball. One of the things that I noted about myself is, when the ball was coming at me and I went to catch it, the more afraid I was, the worse I was at catching it. The less afraid I was, the easier I caught it. The more afraid you are, where you're at the point where your hands start to tremble, it's a lot harder to catch it.

I think you actually do better when you have less stress than when you have more stress. So probably for some people, that attempt to consciously reduce stress is probably a good idea. If you can just get there naturally, it's probably better. It's kind of hard to envision that great baseball players are feeling a lot of stress when the baseball is coming at them.

Stockerblog.com: You've answered all my questions. I really appreciate your time on this. Thanks again.


End of the eighth and final installment of the Interview.

Fisher obviously didn't provide any stock recommendations for the interview, but many of the stocks he has favored in the past can be found in his previous Forbes columns. For example, Royal Dutch Shell plc (RDS-A) (RDS-B), Intel (INTC), Ball Corp. (BLL), and ENI (E).

His book, The Only Three Questions That Count: Investing by Knowing What Others Don't, which would make a great gift for any investor, is available at Amazon.

Author does not own any of the above mentioned stocks.

Interview by Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Copyright 2008 Stockerblog.com, All rights reserved. Reprinting without permission is prohibited.

All Right, Who's the Wise Guy!

Some clown nominated me to run for president of the United States through some viral marketing scheme. The thing took off so much that Channel 3 did a big news report on this so-called campaign. If you click on the link, then click on the Election 2008 video screen, you will see how extensive this campaign has gotten. Unbelievable!

Monday, September 08, 2008

Stockerblog.com Exclusive: Interview with Ken Fisher – Part 7

Brains, Benchmarks, and Best Sectors

Stockerblog.com had the pleasure of recently interviewing Ken Fisher, head of the $45 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.

If you missed any of the earlier segments of the interview, you can check them out: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6.

Stockerblog.com: In the chapter on What my Brain is Doing to Mislead Me, one of the key things I got out of that chapter is looking at benchmarks because if you don't look at benchmarks, in other words, if the market is down in general and your portfolio is down, obviously that can do things to your brain if you don't look at it from a perspective standpoint, right?

Fisher: I think that's right, Another way to see that is, on the upside, an awful lot of people who are investors are investors who are trying to prove how smart they are. When you meet them and talk to them, you can really see their ego right out front, they hate the notion of a benchmark, because what they want is to say 'I'm smart'. They don't want the notion that its up 20 and I'm up 15 and I'm not smart.

The benchmark actually allows you to really calibrate how much real alpha you have, and it apprises you to say its up 20, 'I'm smart'.

In other words, the benchmark helps you measure risk, and the guy who want to lead with his ego wants to denote the notion that because he's so smart, there is no risk. If I'm all knowing, there isn't any risk, right?

Stockerblog.com: Any other suggestions that maybe you've come up since you wrote the book of how to prevent your brain from misleading you?

Fisher: No, I don't think I really have a lot of help on that that's new. I haven't had some revelation since the book came out.

Stockerblog.com: Any particular sectors or industries you like right now?

Fisher: Yeah, I'm of the feeling, which most people aren't, that this which is quite technically a bear market, is really more like a big long grinding correction of a bull market; and I think when it's over, probably the sectors that have been leading before this began will continue to be the sectors that lead. So that would take you back into materials, energy, and industrials, and emerging markets.

One of the points that they're not very big on right now is that if we were in this global recession that so many people fear, if we're really in that world, because the emerging market stocks and countries are so dependent on developed world demand, then stocks would be tanking.

In fact, all year long they've been acting in line with the market. To me, that's a sign we're not really in that world, which says to me we're coming out that other side of this period, we're going to have a resumption of the world we were in before.


End of Part 7 of the Interview – Stay tuned for the eighth and final segment of the interview in the next couple days, where Fisher discusses dealing with stress when investing in the market.

Fisher obviously didn't provide any stock recommendations for the interview, but many of the stocks he has favored in the past can be found in his previous Forbes columns. For example, Novartis AG (NVS), Nokia (NOK), Rohm & Haas (ROH), and Hewlett-Packard (HPQ).

His book, The Only Three Questions That Count: Investing by Knowing What Others Don't, which would make a great gift for any investor, is available at Amazon.

Author does not own any of the above mentioned stocks.

Interview by Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Copyright 2008 Stockerblog.com, All rights reserved. Reprinting without permission is prohibited.

Sunday, September 07, 2008

Top Stocks Going Ex Dividend End of September

Many investors use a 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 being entitled to the dividend. This generally works only in rising markets.

If you are interested in buying dividends, there are several stocks in several different sectors and industries to choose from. Remember that, 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, PEs below 20, PEGs below 2, and yields over 3%.

Regions Financial Corporation (RF) Ex-div date: 9/15/2008 Yield: 3.6% PE: 7 PEG 1.32 .

Bancolombia S.A. (CIB) Ex-div date: 9/17/2008 Yield: 3.5% PE: 10 PEG 1.20 .

Cincinnati Financial Corporation (CINF) Ex-div date: 9/17/2008 Yield: 5.2% PE: 15 PEG 1.54 .

Fulton Financial Corp. (FULT) Ex-div date: 9/17/2008 Yield: 5.6% PE: 13 PEG 1.92 .

General Electric Company (GE) Ex-div date: 9/18/2008 Yield: 4.5% PE: 13 PEG 1.19 .

Pzena Investment Management, Inc. (PZN) Ex-div date: 9/24/2008 Yield: 4.9% PE: 7 PEG 0.48 .

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AJG) Ex-div date: 9/26/2008 Yield: 4.8% PE: 17 PEG 1.78 .

Sterling Financial Corporation (STSA) Ex-div date: 9/26/2008 Yield: 3.8% PE: 10 PEG 0.77 .

Willis Group Holdings Limited (WSH) Ex-div date: 9/26/2008 Yield: 3.1% PE: 13 PEG 0.99 .

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 Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

This Makes Me Sick!

Is there no limit to what appears on television? There is a new reality TV show called Hurl! in which contestants binge on as much food as they can eat, then spin around in some activity, and the last one to throw up wins a $1000 in cash. The show can be seen [if you really want to see it] on TV channel G4, which is owned by G4 Media, which is owned primarily by Comcast (CMCSA), which trades on NASDAQ.

Author does not own this stock.

North Dakota Stocks


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

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Jerry Seinfeld Bill Gates Commercial

In case you missed the news and don't watch TV, the TV star and comedian Jerry Seinfeld was hired by Microsoft (MSFT) to appear in commercials promoting the company's software.

The new Jerry Seinfeld Bill Gates commercial starting running a couple days ago.

I guess I just don't get it.

Author owns MSFT.

Stockerblog.com Breaks Above 17,500 Monthly Visitors

According to Google Analytics, the Stockerblog.com website had 17,575 absolute unique visitors during the last 31 days. Not bad for a Web 1.0 website, especially for an investment stock market web site during a summer month when most people are on vacation, and during a time frame when the stock market has been dropping.

There were almost 20,000 visits during the month and more than 35,000 page views for the month. The average time spent per visit was over two minutes.

Bank Failures Up 250% for the Third Quarter


Another bank just bit the dust. Nevada based Silver State Bank was just closed down by Nevada regulators due to bad loans. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was named as receiver. Andrew K. McCain, son of Republican presidential candidate John McCain, was on the bank's Board of Directors until July.

According to the FDIC, this is the seventh bank failure for the third quarter, an increase of 250% over the second quarter, and the quarter isn't even over yet.

By the way a lot of banks appear on the SEC Naked Short List.

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Montana Stocks


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

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Stockerblog.com Exclusive: Interview with Ken Fisher – Part 6

Good CEOs versus Bad CEOs

Stockerblog.com had the pleasure of recently interviewing Ken Fisher, head of the $45 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.

If you missed Part 1 of the interview, you can see it here, and if you missed Part 2, you can see it here. Also check out Part 3 and Part 4.

Stockerblog.com: Your second question covered in the book, ' What can I fathom that others can’t?', is that something you can do on a micro level, in other words down to the stock as opposed to the sector or the industry or the economy as a whole?

Fisher: Yes. It's easier to make the questions work in a marketing sense for a book when they're more macro-ish, because we can talk about something that everyone can think about. The deficit. The price of oil. Those are the things that everybody has some ability to get on the page with. When you start talking about a single stock, it's harder to get everyone on the page, so it doesn't work as well for demonstration purposes in the book. But absolutely, its absolutely true that it could be either a macro point that relates to single stock or a micro point that relates to a single stock.

A micro point that relates to a single stock, it is a huge one, it is such an easy no brainer is that most people get it but they don't get it. Here's this guy, he just gone to go run this small cap company, and I know he's an idiot. Short the stock. Or I know he's the greatest thing since sliced bread. I'm going to own the stock heavy. I know he's the greatest guy since sliced bread, and everybody else doesn't. I've found out something other people don't know. They think he's an idiot, I know he's great. Make sure you're right.

If you can figure out lousy CEOs, that's a big one. Of course, that takes you on the short side. I mean, I can think of a company right now where they just announced the new CEO and I know the guy is just a dodo, and it's a perfectly phenomenal short opportunity, since the guy couldn't manage his way out of a paper bag. That's knowing something other people don't know.

Why would they put him in if he's lousy, well, the answer is that happens all the time. He interviews well. The board interviews him, he interviews well, half of getting the job is interviewing well.

I've got a new book coming out in late October, and it has a whole chapter on how to be a replacement CEO.

Stockerblog.com: What is the book called?

Fisher: The book is called the Ten Roads to Riches. It's the ten different ways people get mega-wealthy, and one of them is to be a replacement CEO. One of the things I talk about is how to become a replacement CEO, and a lot of firms hire replacement CEOs really badly, because the basic process that they use is, we hire a search firm, the search firm looks at candidates, we the board are told that pretty much any of them would be OK, yet we are always going to be skeptical of that, then we interview and then we seek some references. So we're going to get good references, since nobody is going to come forward that doesn't have good references and the real driving feature is who interviews well.

But interviewing well is a completely different skill than being a CEO. So you get a lot of people who become CEOs and move from job to job to job every three or four years, often to bigger more impressive places and they are really good corporate politicians and they are really good interviewers and they can't manage their way out and they can't strategize their way out of anything, and yet that doesn't stop them from getting hired. Its kind of a weakness in our society but there's not a better way to do it. Yet all the time, CEOs get elected who are just not very good, because they interview well. They're nice guys; they're not just great CEO's. They're not Jack Welch; they're not whoever you want to think of as a great CEO.

End of Part 6 of the Interview – Stay tuned for the next segment of the interview in the next several days, where Fisher discusses favorable sectors and much more.

Fisher obviously didn't provide any stock recommendations for the interview, but many of the stocks he has favored in the past can be found in his previous Forbes columns. For example, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBV), Enersis (ENI), Franklin Resources (BEN), and Anglo American (AAUK).

His book, <The Only Three Questions That Count: Investing by Knowing What Others Don't, which would make a great gift for any investor, is available at Amazon.

Author does not own any of the above mentioned stocks.

Interview by Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Copyright 2008 Stockerblog.com, All rights reserved. Reprinting without permission is prohibited.

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Stockerblog.com Exclusive: Interview with Ken Fisher – Part 5

Debt Laden Stocks versus Debt Free Stocks

Stockerblog.com had the pleasure of recently interviewing Ken Fisher, head of the $45 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.

If you missed Part 1 of the interview, you can see it here, and if you missed Part 2, you can see it here. Also check out Part 3 and Part 4.

Stockerblog.com: In your chapter, What Do I Believe that is Wrong, you had a nice list of myths which is pretty interesting, especially the High PE ratio myth, and you had a lot of statistics to back up all that. One of the myths, actually a couple of them, Government Deficits are Band and America has Too Much Debt, what about stocks that are heavily in debt, do you have any opinion on that.

Fisher: Franco Modigliani got a Nobel Prize for demonstrating there is no 'there' there. If you go back to Franco Modigliani's original work, it shows that as a class, that doesn't tell you anything. Individually, it may or may not; that is, a levered company that knows what the hell it's doing, that's doing something really nifty, it's obviously got a lot of upside and things are going to go well for it. The levered company that's badly run and doesn't have anything proprietary and getting its rear end chewed off by its competition, is going to go down the tubes, and its going to be nada, which itself doesn't tell you anything. I would refer people back to Modigliani's original work.

This goes back to my notion of screening, and leverage versus non-leverage, and see if you can get a different return dispersion, and the answer is, on a risk adjusted basis, no. Another way to say this is, if you did, is all you had to do to make money is buy the ones that aren't leveraged and short the ones that are leveraged, and you could generate alpha. The fact is that you can't.

That characteristic by itself means nothing, all it does is increases both the risk and the reward. Another way to say that is, if we had perfect knowledge, we would be rewarded by leveraging the hell out of ourselves. The problem is, we don't have perfect knowledge. This goes back again to the fundamental issue, if you know something other people don't know, and if you really know something other people don't know, the risk is going to work your way. And this is true whether you're investing in the stock or whether you're running an operating company.

Stockerblog.com: Do you think an average investor is better off not paying attention to many of the market commentators and analysts' opinions, and just do the research on the industries and the stocks themselves?

Fisher: Well, what I told you before, the average investor is just better off going passive, and going passive of course does imply not listening to any of these people. Let's put it another way, if you assume what I assume, and I think history is pretty clear on this, the average active investor lags the market, then the average active investor would be better to go passive because he can stay even with the market.

Now that isn't to say that there aren't things the active investor can do to become a better active investor. But a long time ago, I was called in to a pension plan, a municipal plan, to render to them advice on how they could go from being measured by some peer group they were being measured by, in the bottom 20% of all municipal plans, to doing better. My first response was, you've had all these managers you've hired, all you've got to do to be above average is to go passive. Because almost all these people are 100% active and they're all hurting themselves, so all they needed to be above the 50th percentile is to just be passive, because they are all lagging the market. That's a really hard concept for people to get.

Stockerblog.com: Well I know there are a lot of people out there, for example retirees, who have maybe $25 thousand up to a million dollars, and they just like to pick and choose their own stocks and do their own thing. So if you tell them they would be better off in an ETF or an index fund…

Fisher: They would lose the entertainment value, and I think that is a perfectly valid point. Then the question is, what price are you prepared to pay for entertainment. You can think of that as, I'm going to take my money and be passive and I'm going to take half the money I'm going to save from that and spend every third weekend in Las Vegas. It’s just a question of what you want to do with your time.

Sure there's a lot of people who will be active investors and there's a lot that active investors can do to improve themselves, and what that involves is self educating. So then you sit there and say well what are the things they don't know and those are the things they need to put time in self-educating on. And that can be from history to reading stock market books. It's unlikely to come much from the current opinions of commentators since the opinions of commentators tend to bounce all over the map, and an awful lot of it is just drivel. But, to a large extent, the way an active investor becomes a better active investor is work harder and educate yourself more.

End of Part 5 of the Interview – Stay tuned for future segments of the interview over the next several days, where Fisher discusses the importance of CEOs, favorable sectors and much more.

Fisher obviously didn't provide any stock recommendations for the interview, but many of the stocks he has favored in the past can be found in his previous Forbes columns. For example, CF Industries (CF), Merck (MRK), Veolia Environment (VE), and and Sara Lee Corp. (SLE).

His book, The Only Three Questions That Count: Investing by Knowing What Others Don't, which would make a great gift for any investor, is available at Amazon.

Author does not own any of the above mentioned stocks.

Interview by Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Copyright 2008 Stockerblog.com, All rights reserved. Reprinting without permission is prohibited.