With all the dialogue of stocks being overvalued due to the immense rally we’ve seen since March, you’d think there’d be almost no dirt cheap stocks. You know what I’m talking about. I mean really cheap. Stocks with single digit P/Es and price-to-book ratios well under 1.0.
But what if I told you that there’s one sector where there’s not just one dirt cheap stock, but many of them. And as an added bonus, these dirt cheap stocks also have a Zacks Rank of #1 or #2, which means they have rising earnings estimates.
Too good to be true?
Nah. You just have to know where to look.
Dirt Cheap Stocks are Not the Techs
To find the dirt cheap stocks in this market you have to get over your obsession with tech stocks, energy plays and, as hard as it is, even the drybulk shippers.
Because our dirt cheap stocks are found in the insurance sector. Yes, insurance.
Not glamorous enough for you?
These 3 dirt cheap stocks have an average forward P/E of just 6.14 and an average price-to-book ratio of 0.84. Enough said.
3 Dirt Cheap Stocks – And They Pay Dividends Too
PartnerRe Ltd. (PRE – Analyst Report) is a global reinsurer of, among other things, property, casualty, agriculture, aviation/space, catastrophe, marine, life/annuity and energy risks. On Oct 26, it reported third quarter results that beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 44.98%. It was the third consecutive beat.
With a low level of large losses in the quarter, aided by the tranquil hurricane season, the company’s reinsurance and capital markets segments performed well.
Analysts like what they heard as 8 out of 12 raised 2009 estimates in the last month. Over the past 90 days, 2009 estimates jumped 22.4% to $12.68 from $10.36 per share. Analysts expect 2009 earnings growth of 50.22%.
PartnerRe’s Cheap Stock Credentials
The company has a forward P/E of just 6.12 and sports a price-to-book ratio of 0.83. The PEG ratio is also only 0.64.
PartnerRe is a Zacks #2 Rank () stock. The current dividend yield is 2.40%. Check out the 2-year chart:
Platinum Underwriter Holdings, Ltd. (PTP – Snapshot Report) is also a reinsurer, providing property, casualty and finite risk reinsurance coverage worldwide. On Oct 21, the company easily beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the third quarter by 15.17%. Net income was a record. The results were boosted by lower than expected catastrophe activity and strong investment results.
Analysts are bullish on Platinum Underwriter as 2 out of 5 have raised full year estimates in the last 30 days. The 2009 Zacks Consensus jumped to $5.89 from $5.76 per share in that time. Analysts expect 2009 earnings growth of 62.76%.
The company has a forward P/E of 6.17 and a price-to-book ratio of 0.83. Its PEG ratio is just 0.58.
The company is a Zacks #2 Rank () stock. As an added bonus, it is yielding a dividend of 0.90%. Take a look at the 2-year chart action:
Delphi Financial Group, Inc. (DFG – Analyst Report) is in a different segment of the insurance industry than the other two dirt cheap stocks. It provides employee benefit services and offers group insurance coverages for long-term and short-term disability, life, excess workers compensation for self insured employers, travel accident, dental and limited benefit health insurance.
On Oct 27, the company reported third quarter results and surprised on estimates for the fourth straight quarter. Earnings per share rose 284% from the year ago period to $1.00 per share from 26 cents.
Improved investment results boosted the quarter as the company saw improved yields in its fixed income portfolio. Investment income rose 357% to $88.7 million from $19.4 million in the third quarter of last year.
Analysts like what they see for the rest of 2009. 6 out of 8 analysts have raised full year estimates in the last month, boosting the Zacks Consensus to $3.74 from $3.51 per share. Analysts expect year over year earnings growth of 93.72%.
Delphi Financial Group’s Cheap Stock Credentials
Delphi Financial has a forward P/E of 6.12 and a price-to-book of 0.86. Its PEG ratio is only 0.51.
The company is a Zacks #1 Rank (strong ) stock. It rewards shareholders with a dividend of 1.70%.
Ways to Search for Dirt Cheap Stocks
Zacks Custom Screener – This is the place to start to create your own screens to find dirt cheap stocks.
Research Wizard – This refined tool will allow you to search for a detailed list of companies with dirt cheap stock characteristics such as low PEG and P/E ratios as well as other value indicators like low P/S and P/B ratios.
Are you thinking about sinking some cash into penny stocks? If you are it is vital to learn all you can about them first.
One aspect of this type of stock that you will come to read a lot about is high volume penny stocks. Not all penny stocks are high volume, but if you know which ones are and which ones are not it can help you to choose which stocks to invest in.
High volume penny stocks are those which are enjoying a large number of transactions over a period of time. Conversely then we can see that low volume penny stocks are experiencing very few transactions.
But what does this mean for the average investor?
It is easy to assume that because a stock is selling well that it will continue to do so and will go up in value too. The first thought that will probably go through your mind is that you have stumbled on a penny stock that everyone wants. And why would everyone want it? Simply because they think it will go up in value.
But while that might be true, you should never forget the word ‘might’. Furthermore it is worth investigating the situation further before you actually some of those high volume penny shares for yourself. You might find that the stock in question has gone up in value significantly already. And that would open up the question of whether it would be capable of rising much further.
You can see the danger of focusing in so closely on the high volume aspect that you could miss more obvious danger signs as well. This is why you need to read news reports about that particular company and its stock. Read opinions from experts as to what might happen next. Form your own decision based on what you know, but make sure it is backed by solid knowledge.
We all know that what goes up must come down, and it is no different with penny stocks. In fact look for penny stocks whose market depth is good as well. This is another sign that, coupled with your research, could point to whether or not you are making a wise decision to invest in that particular company.
If you thought penny stocks were all about speculative investing you would have been right. But as you can see, we can gain good clues about where to put our money by watching out for high volume penny stocks.
Next, check out The Dean’s that have made huge gains.
Next, check out our that have made huge gains. Your #1 spot for picks.
Buying and selling penny stocks can be a great way to make money. You need to have knowledge to be a great trader and profit form your trades. It is always a good idea to do your research before purchasing any type of stock. The people who do the foot work usually come out on top.
How to:
First you need to get some of the popular stock papers so that you can gain knowledge. To make a profit you need to know when is the best time to and sell a stock. Timing and knowing the market is everything when it comes to being successful trading penny stocks.
You Can:
Next you want to find someone who has traded penny stocks and sit down and talk with them. Gaining knowledge from someone who has experience is going to save you a lot of time and money. To be successful it is better when you are starting out to take advice and listen to what people have been through.
It is very possible to profit and even make a living trading penny stocks. You need to know what you are doing and how the markets operate before you spend a dime. It is too easy to lose money when you are new at trading. Get expert advice is a plus and can make the difference in you being profitable.
Remember that trading penny stocks are a great way to make money. Make sure that you prepare yourself and learn before you make your first trade. it will take time for you to understand how everything works but over time you can be a successful stock trader.
Bryan Burbank is an expert in the field of Finance and Investing.
There are all different ways to invest. Many people think of stocks, and other forms of investment. One investment essential, but often considered partially, is gold. Gold is a great investment. Find out why, and how now! Want to invest? What do you do? Beginners will open a savings account, and start putting money in. This is a process, which often is to save for a rainy day, rather than to create what we really want. So what do we want, in regards to this? Obviously it is to build wealth. This is part of what is called net worth, and cash by itself is not a great way to grow. Stocks are a great investment because as the company rises, so does your stock, thus making a profit. At least our research into the stock would have us believe. This is a volatile investment. One point to remember, is that there are other forms of investment. Cash is no good, because by itself, it depreciates with recession. We need a safe way to have a form of investment, like cash, but not on the negative side of inflation. So gold enters the picture. Gold is an investment which has increased over time. This makes it more viable than storing cash. Should the whole portfolio for your investments only include gold? No, it is not a wise idea, as it doesn’t increase by big amounts. So this is a great way as an addition, but not as a primary form of investment. My suggestion is to invest as much as 5% of your net worth into gold. This is a stable form of investment, and a great protector. Imagine this, even if currency was no longer in use, you would still have the gold, which would be worth its weight in gold! Though most people a safe in knowing that the currency they use will be usable tomorrow, and not just a piece of Monopoly money, there is still the satisfaction knowing that some of the wealth you have is in the form of gold. So we take a look, and see a $1 million net worth. Should $50,000 be placed into a single piece of gold? The best thing to do is to lots of small items. Consider this, should you need to sell the gold, selling a $50,000 gold, is not going to work. When you invest into a lot of small bars, coins, etc, then you have room to maneuver. As well as having lots of gold. There is the good point of knowing that you can each year, each month, or when you feel like, invest into gold with an extra coin, etc. So the options are great. Whether you should invest into gold or not is not the issue, it is a must, and one which stabilizes a financial investment portfolio. So invest in gold, and secure the financial future of your family.
Want the best sources to gold? Check out and and make the best savings.
You can successfully trade penny stocks but it is important that you have information before you begin. It is possible to lose money in the stock market so the more knowledge you have the better you will do. You can make money with penny stocks because they give you a lot of trading leverage.
How to:
First you need to subscribe to several of the top investor publications such as Barron’s and the Wall Street Journal. It will help you to have the information you need to pick the right stocks to . You need to understand market conditions and why some penny stocks are better to than others.
You Can:
Next you want to talk with a day trader who has experience with buying and selling penny stocks. This will help you get a better understanding of how the stock market works over all. You will also be informed on what to look for and what to watch out for.
Making money with penny stocks is not hard to do but make sure you understand what you are doing before you spend your hard earned money. It is easy to build wealth when and selling these stocks but the people who have the most success are the ones that understand the market.
Remember that making money with these stocks is within your reach but educate yourself before you begin. You want to make sure that you seek the advice of an expert or someone who is a day trader because they can tell you what the pitfalls may be.
Bryan Burbank is an expert in the field of Finance.
Bullet Advice For Indian Stocks Weekly – market may remain volatile
BSE Sensex (16158.28) and Nifty (4796.15) closed up by 1.6% and 1.8 % respectively last week.Nifty Future November was quoting at 6.0 points discount.Nifty Call Option November 4800 was very active.Support for Sensex is at 15550. Resistance for Sensex is at 16850 .Support for Nifty is at 4610 and resistance at 5020.Crude oil was at 77.50 $.
Volatility may increase in coming times as FII’s may prefer to book profit ahead of year end.Finance Minister’s statement that no curbs are on cards for foreign capital helped the markets to stabilize at lower levels.
Ashok Leyland and IFCI added Open Interest in November series.Huge position was build up at Reliance Industries November Call Option Strike Price 2010.Good build up was also seen at Suzlon November Call Option Strike Price 70..
1)TataSteel(499.80) Lot Size-764
One Call Option of November Strike Price 500@ Rs.23.50
Sell One Call Option of November Strike Price 530@13.00 Rs.
Premium .Paid=23.50*764=.17954.00 Rs.
Premium Received=13*764=9932.00 Rs.
Net Premium Paid=17954-9932=8022.00 Rs.
Maximum Profit==530-500==30*764=22920-8022=14898.00 Rs.
Maximum Loss=8022 Rs.
Break Even Price=510.50
2)IDFC(158) November Future-Lot Size 2950 shares.
One Lot November Future @158
Sell One Call Option of November Strike Price 160@5.25 Rs.
Premium Received=5.25*2950= 15487.50 Rs
Maximum Profit=160-158=2*2950=5900 + 15487.50=21387.50 Rs.
Max Loss=Unlimited.
Trend of Major Stocks
STOCK TREND Days WeeklyTrend MonthlyTrend
BHEL.NS Bulllish 2 Falling Falling
ICICIBANK.NS Bulllish 3 Flat! Flat!
INFOSYSTC.NS Bulllish 3 Falling Falling
ITC.NS Bearish 2 Flat! Flat!
MARUTI.NS Bulllish 4 Falling Falling
SBIN.NS Bulllish 1 Flat! Flat!
TATASTEEL.NS Bulllish 3 Flat! Flat!
TCS.NS Bearish 1 Flat! Flat!
Technical indicators of major Stocks
MFI=Money Flow Index
RSI=Relative Strength Index
ADX=Directional Momentum Index
STOCK CLOSE MFI-21 RSI-14 ADX-14
BHEL.NS 2219.9 41.28 38.81 25.43
ICICIBANK.NS 848.55 56.68 48.83 27.25
INFOSYSTC.NS 2218.6 33.25 48.98 16.07
ITC.NS 248.85 57.35 49.65 28.42
MARUTI.NS 1471.25 47.15 47.19 15.09
SBIN.NS 2205 47.11 51.79 22.93
TATASTEEL.NS 499.8 63.97 49.16 26.53
TCS.NS 622.15 43.24 55.11 16.24
Trading Idea
1)HDIL(359.65) this stock in decline and trade.
2)Ranbaxy(414.40) this stock in decline and trade
By
Bullet Advisory Indian Stocks-India’s Top Most No.1 Best Stock Market Advice Blog,Hot Stock Tips Calls by Expert Technical Analyst Narendra Nainani of India.Most Preferred and Successful Paid Subscription Stock Tips Calls Website of India.Excellent Success Ratio of more than 90% with Superb trading ideas.Most Successful Intraday Stock Future Calls Provider Service Indian Share Market.
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By
Bullet Advisory Indian Stocks-India’s top most no.1 best stockmarket advice blog,hot stocktips calls by expert technical analyst Narendra Nainani of India
Website http://
Narendra Nainani
AHMEDABAD, GUJARAT, India
Narendra Nainani is renowned technical analyst and stock market advisor of INDIA having experience of more than 26 years having excellent success ratio.Expert in Derivatives Products-Futures & Options,Intraday,Short Term ,Medium Term,Long Term,Portfolio Management,IPO & Mutual Fund Advisor.Covered regularly by E TV & Business Magazines like The Economic Revolution for Market views.
India’s top most no.1 best stockmarket advice blog hot stocktips calls by expert technical analyst of India.Most preferred paid subscription stocktips calls website India.Excellent success ratio of more than 90%.good superb trading ideas.M-9898162770
Website .
It is widely accepted that every successful business must have a strong working capital position. It is in this context; an attempt was made to explain the concept and various determinative factors influencing net current assets below:
Gross working capital refers to working capital as the total of current assets. That is to say, Gross working capital = Total current assets. Net working capital refers to working capital as excess of current assets over current liabilities. In other words net working capital refers to current assets financed by long term funds or capital employed of the business.
Accordingly, Net working capital = Current assets – Current liabilities
The net working capital position of the firm is an imperative contemplation, as this will determine the firm’s profitability and risk. Here the profitability refers to profits after expenses and risk refers to the probability that a firm will become technically insolvent where it will be unable to meet obligations when they become due for payment.
A finance manager has to make an appropriate financing mix, which will limit the risk and increase the profitability. Financing mix refers to the proportion of current assets financed by current liabilities and long term funds.
There are two approaches which determine the financing mix (1) Aggressive approach (2) Conservative approach.
According to aggressive approach the long term funds are used to finance only the core or fixed portion of current assets (e.g., minimum level of finished goods inventory, raw material etc) and the other portion i.e. temporary and seasonal requirements are financed by short term funds. This is of high risk and high profit financing mix.
According to conservative approach the total current assets are financed from long term sources and short term sources are used only in emergency situation i.e. when there is an unexpected cash outflow. This is of low-risk and low-profit financing mix.
As we observed two methods of financing mix, one method is of high risk high profit and other is of risk low profit. A finance manager has to trade off between these two extremes.
Operating Cycle:
As there is a time lag between and realization of receivables there is a need for sufficient working capital to deal with the problem which arises due to lack of immediate realization of cash against goods sold. The operating cycle is the length of time required for conversion of non-cash assets into cash. This operating cycle refers to the time taken for the conversion of cash into raw material, raw materials into work-in-progress, work-in-progress into finished goods, finished into receivables into cash and this cycle repeats.
The operating cycle length differs from firm to firm. If a firm has lengthy production process or a firm has liberal credit policy the length of operating cycle will be more. On the other hand, if a firm does not extent credit or the firm is not a manufacturing concern i.e. where cash will be converted into inventory directly then the length of operating cycle will be reduced to a greater extent.
The length of operating cycle is calculated based on the following:
Raw materials storage period (RMSP)
Work in process period (WIPP)
Finished goods storage period (FGP)
Debtors collection period (DCP)
Creditors Payment Period (CPP)
ThereforeLength of operating cycle = 1+2+ 3+4-5
FACTORS INFLUENCING WORKING CAPITAL NEEDS:
A firm should have neither low nor high working capital. Low working capital involves more risk and more returns, high working capital involves less risk and less returns. Risk here refers to technical insolvency while returns refer to increased profits/earnings. The amount of working capital is determined by a wide variety of factors:
Nature of Business: The working capital requirement of a firm depends on the nature of the business. For example, a firm involved in of services rather than manufacturing or a firm is allowing only cash . In the first instance, no investment is required in either raw materials or WIP or finished goods, while in the second occasion there exists no receivable as there is immediate realization of cash. Hence the requirement of working capital will be lower.
2Seasonality of Operations:
If the product of the firm has a seasonal demand like refrigerators, the firms need high working capital in the periods of summer, as the demand for the refrigerators is more and the firm needs low working capital in the periods of winter, as the demand for the product is low.
3. Production Cycle:
The term production cycle refers to the time involved in the manufacture of goods. It covers the time span between the procurement of the raw materials and the completion of the manufacturing process leading to the production of goods. As funds are necessarily tied up during the production cycle, the production cycle has a bearing on the quantum of working capital.
The longer the time span of production cycle, the larger will be the funds tied up and therefore the larger the working capital needed and vice versa.
4.Production Policy:
The quantum of working capital is also determined by production policy. In case of the firms having seasonal demand of the products like refrigerators, air coolers etc. and the production policy of the firm determines the amount of working capital requirement. If the firm has production policy to carry production at a steady level to meet the peak demand, this will result in a large accumulation of finished goods (inventories) during the off-seasons and the abrupt during the peak season. The progressive accumulation of finished goods will naturally require an increasing amount of working capital. If the firm has production policy to produce only when there is a demand then the firm needs low working capital during the slack season and high working capital during season.
5. Credit Policy:
The level of the working capital is also determined by the credit policy, as the firm’s credit policy determines the amount of receivables. If the firm has a liberal credit policy, then the firm needs high working capital and the firm needs low working capital if the company’s credit policy does not allow it to extend credit to the buyers.
6. Market Conditions:
The working capital requirements are also determined by the market conditions. In case of the high degree of competition prevailing in the market the firm has to maintain larger inventories as customers are not inclined to wait for the product. This needs higher working capital requirements. If there is good demand for the product and the competition is weak, a firm can manage with smaller inventory of finished goods, as customers can wait for the product if it is not available in the market.
Thus, a firm can manage with low inventory and will need low working capital requirements.
7.Conditions of Supply:
The availability of raw materials and spares also determine the level of working capital. If there is ready availability of raw materials and spares, a firm can maintain minimum inventory and need less working capital. If the supply of raw materials is unpredictable, then the firm has to acquire stocks as and when they are available for ensuring continuous production.
Thus, the firm needs to maintain larger inventory average and needs larger requirementofworkingcapital.
CONCLUSION:
From the above discussion, it is made clear that the objective of financial management is to maximize the shareholders wealth. Hence, it is needed to generate sufficient profits. The profits generated depend mainly on volume. When the goods are being sold on credit as is the normal practice of business firms today to cope with increased competition the of goods cannot be converted into cash instantly because of time lag between and realization of cash. Further this is possible only through evolving effective working capital policy and better administration on current assets financing.
Dr.R.SRINIVASAN is a Post graduate in commerce and Management. He received his doctoral degree from Alagappa University in 1997. He is now Working as an ASSOCIATE PROFESSORin Post graduate and Research Department of Corporate Secretaryship at Bharathidasan Government College for Women (Autonomous), Pondicherry University, Puducherry.He currently teaches Accounting ,financial management and Research Methodology Subjects. Before Joining BGCW, he was teaching in SNR College, Coimbatore, Sindhi college, Chennai& T.S.Narayanasamy College, Chennai for eight years. He was with the industry for a short term at Salzar Electronics Pvt. Ltd, Coimbatore. He has about 20 years of teaching experience and having research experience of 15 years. His interests are in Accounting and finance, Capital Market, Quantitative Methods. He underwent the Faculty Development Programme at Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad during 2000-01. He has presented 20 papers in national and international conferences and has published twenty papers in the areas of Finance and Human resource Management in National Journals. Co-authored a book titled, ‘Investors Protection, published by Raj Publications, New Delhi He has delivered lectures in contemporary finance topics at Pondicherry University. He is involved in consultancy projects for Godrej Saralee, Chennai in the areas of Statistical Applications. He has supervised a number of research projects in the area of corporate finance and Human Resource Management. He is the Board of examiner in corporate Secretaryship and Management for the past two decades.
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The 2008 financial crisis uncannily echoes what happened in Japan more than a decade ago. In the 1990s, the Japanese banking systems had become overloaded with bad loans after a property bubble collapse, according to Gillian Tett, author of Fool’s Gold. The investor psychology seemed dangerously similar too. If this is the case, investors who high yield stocks now could collect big dividends while the economy fights to get back on its feet.
The Associated Press (AP) reported on Friday that the U.S. federal budget deficit has surged to an all-time high of $1.42 trillion. The Obama administration projects deficits will total $9.1 trillion over the next decade. For weeks the US dollar’s decline sent gold to all-time highs and helped oil to over $78. Canada happens to have plenty of these commodities.
The following are 18 Canadian companies listed on U.S. exchanges with market caps greater than $1 billion, reasonable P/E ratios, and dividend yields greater than 3.5% (sorted by yield):
Name
Symbol
P/E
Yield
Market Cap
PROVIDENT ENERGY TR
(PVX)
9.0
11.1%
1.66B
PENGROWTH EGY UTS
(PGH)
5.0
10.6%
2.61B
PENN WEST ENERGY TRU
(PWE)
5.1
10.1%
6.90B
ENERPLUS RES FD
(ERF)
5.8
8.4%
3.97B
HARVEST ENERGY TRUST
(HTE)
4.2
8.1%
1.14B
B C E INC
(BCE)
21.7
6.1%
18.82B
TELUS CORP
(TU)
8.6
5.8%
9.41B
PRECISION DRILL TRST
(PDS)
4.3
5.7%
1.91B
BANK OF MONTREAL
(BMO)
17.3
5.1%
27.68B
TRANSALTA CORP
(TAC)
21.9
5.1%
4.07B
BAYTEX ENERGY TR UTS
(BTE)
12.8
5.0%
2.77B
CANADIAN IMP BK COMM
(CM)
3.7
5.0%
2.98B
BROOKFIELD PTYS CP
(BPO)
6.2
4.6%
4.47B
TRANSCANADA CORP
(TRP)
15.1
4.3%
21.71B
SHAW COMM CL B NV
(SJR)
15.6
4.2%
8.24B
ROGERS COMMUN CL B
(RCI)
16.8
4.0%
16.57B
BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA
(BNS)
16.7
3.9%
45.86B
TORONTO DOMINION
(TD)
17.4
3.5%
53.70B
These 18 high-dividend companies are in 4 sectors: Energy, Financial, Telecom and Utilities.
Energy Income Trust
High demand from China and a weak US dollar make the energy sector attractive. 7 companies belong to energy income trust category:
Symbol
Operating Margin
Debt/Operating CF
52-wk Range
(BTE)
36%
1.0
7.84 – 26.44
(ERF)
51%
0.7
12.85 – 28.58
(HTE)
10%
3.2
3.00 – 11.55
(PDS)
28%
2.0
2.00 – 12.21
(PGH)
22%
2.5
4.51 – 11.90
(PVX)
23%
1.5
2.23 – 6.84
(PWE)
58%
2.3
6.77 – 19.01
For sophisticated traders, trading commodities directly might provide a higher reward. For income investors, commodity companies might be a better choice because they provide some buffer, in addition to regular dividends.
There is a small ETF called Claymore Canadian Energy Income (ENY) which includes most of these companies. Its yield is 5.45%.
Financials
The Following are comparisons between Canadian banks, U.S. major banks averages, as well as JPMorgan Chase (JPM), one of the most conservative banks in the US. Clearly Canadian banks are much more profitable.
Description
P/E
ROE %
Div. Yield %
Net Profit Margin %
U.S. Money Center Banks
n/a
1.1%
1.1%
1.3%
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM)
52.6
2.9%
0.4%
15.5%
Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD)
17.6
9.4%
3.5%
22.2%
The Bank Of Nova Scotia (BNS)
16.8
13.2%
3.9%
28.9%
CIBC (CM)
3.8
7.0%
5.0%
18.8%
Bank of Montreal (BMO)
17.4
9.2%
5.1%
21.8%
Telecom
Competition in the telecom sector is heating up in Canada. When BCE (BCE) and Telus (TU) announced they will start carrying the iPhone next month which puts an end to the exclusivity that Rogers (RCI) has enjoyed, it sent RCI’s short ratio to a stunning high of 33. Unlike those 3, Shaw Communications (SJR) primarily focuses on cable services.
Utilities
TransAlta (TAC) is an electric utility company while TransCanada (TRP) operates through two segments: pipelines and energy. TAC’s short ratio of 5.8 makes me nervous.
Conclusion
After boldly buying when others were selling, Warren Buffet is pulling back, buying fewer stocks while investing in debt. He is warning that the economy, though on the mend, remains deeply troubled.
In addition, the Canadian dollar is a strong threat to the Canadian economy. CurrencyShares Canadian Dollar Trust (FXC) appreciated over 13% this year. Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of Canada, has warned that the Canadian dollar appears to be moving away from the fundamentals.
The iShares MSCI Canada Index (EWC) year-to-date’s return is an astonishing 46%. A great stock can be easily turned into a bad investment, if you it at a higher than reasonable price. It all depends on the starting price.
Nonetheless, high-dividend, fundamentally-strong companies are more likely to survive in this stormy market. One of the greatest ways to protect your portfolio is through asset allocation: to make sure not a single sector accounts for more than 20% of your portfolio. Be sure to re-balance as it will automatically enroll you into the “ low, sell high” camp.
Disclosure: I have long positions on BMO, BNS, CM, PWE, TD, and TRE. All data is from Yahoo Finance (http://finance.yahoo.com/) as of Oct 16, 2009.
If you want to make investments, you need to know as much as you can on how to mutual funds. Mutual funds are the way to go in to make really good investments in your purchase.
This is because these are very easy to and these are also very simple to sell. Mutual funds are rich in benefits and features. You will have to do your homework on how to mutual funds.
You need to identify which of these can accommodate what you need and can provide you with the investment that you can get your hands on.
The first step is to get the basic steps on how to mutual funds. This is basically a portfolio that contains the variety of securities like bonds, certificates, and stocks.
Most of these funds have concentration or a focal point that can guide you in the kind of investment that you are venturing.
The next step if you are going to mutual funds is to identify your investment goals. The specific objectives eventually determine the sort of the mutual fund that is very appropriate to your needs.
If you are going to pay off for your college education or save up for your retirement, it only makes sense that you get as much profit as you can with your mutual fund.
Determine how you mutual funds and make it reflect in your overall portfolio. The whole investment is only the portion of your collective assets. These should then be allocated to your mutual funds in accordance to your plan.
You can determine the percentage and then just strictly stick to these. If you are going to mutual funds, double check whether these consist stocks which may be a risk in your investment.
After having done these, the next step on how to mutual funds is to evaluate your risk level. You can tailor your investments in such a way that you are less aggressive.
It is important to be averse on the market but sometimes the best thing to do is to just let it flow. You don’t need to be sleepless at night. Just make a sound decision and hope that the process you did on how to mutual funds is a good investment.
Finally, when you search for the mutual funds to then the financial magazines that you need to rate depend on the risks, performances, and the other parameters of such funds.
Discover which are the best sites to online. Learn which are the at my site.
Commodities and stocks have been on fire the past two weeks and I think it just may be time for things to take a breather. While I continue to stay long, taking some money off the table to lock in profits is a safe play.
If you look at the charts we can tell the odds are pointing to some type of pause or pullback in the coming days. I figure any day now we could see some profit taking.
Gold ETF Trading – GLD
The Gold ETF is one of my favorite trading vehicles. Using simple trend lines and looking at the recent price action you can see that the price of gold is looking ready for a pullback. Buying at this level is chasing and that generally means you at the high and panic out at the low.
Silver ETF Trading – SLV
The Silver ETF looks to be in the same boat as gold. I expect to see some sideways price action or a pullback.
Natural Gas ETF Trading – UNG
The Natural Gas ETF sure has given everyone a wild ride in the past 6 months. The bear market is still in place which can be seen on the daily chart. So far this week the price has broken down and trading at the $11 support level. This fund could generate a or sell signal with my trading model in the coming days so I am waiting for a clear entry and exit point before jumping on the gas wagon.
Crude Oil ETF Trading – USO
The Crude Oil ETF has broken above its resistance trend line this week but still struggling to move above the August high. Volume is declining while the price rises which is a bearish indicator. USO looks ready for some type of a pullback as it digests this breakout before moving higher.
Mid-Week GLD, SLV, UNG, USO ETF Trading Report
What does the general public hear and think about the stock market?
From recent emails, local financial news shows, family, friends etc… all I am hearing is how strong the market is. Indexes are making new yearly highs and company earnings are better than expected this quarter. Sounds like all we need to do is and life will be great!
Well in my opinion the market is the perfect tool for misguiding and frustrating the general public. All my indicators are telling me we need more of a correction before rallying much higher. The market (smart money) generally anticipates good and bad news several weeks if not a month in advance. So the question is:
Are company earnings already priced into the market?
Is all this positive market coverage getting the general public to up here at this possible market top?
The answer is, only time will tell. No one knows for sure what the market is going to do but short term moves can be predicted with relatively high accuracy.
Don’t get me wrong, I am still bullish on the market but with all this good news becoming public information you have to wonder what is next. I am still long the market but trimming my positions to lock in profits and still stay in the game.