» Investing for Retirement - Cramer's Mad Money (7/3/08)
07/04/08 10:01 from Seeking Alpha
Stocks discussed in the in-depth session of Jim Cramer’s Mad Money TV program, Thursday July 3. Take Care of the Essentials While many investors dream of making a killing on the stock market, they should first take care of three essentia..

» Independence Day Memories of a Stronger Dollar, Lower Costs
07/04/08 08:43 from Seeking Alpha
Hard Assets Investor submits: By Brad Zigler As you groom your barbeque for the upcoming holiday cookouts, think of the history that will be celebrated in speeches and fireworks displays on July 4, America's 232 nd Independence Day. The Un..

» What Was Left Out of the Jobs Report
07/04/08 08:34 from Seeking Alpha
Michael Shedlock submits: Before taking a look at the monthly jobs data, let's take a look at weekly claims. The US Department of Labor is reporting Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims continue to rise. Seasonally Adjusted Complete Story..

» Commodity Driven Role Reversal
07/04/08 08:28 from Seeking Alpha
Eric Coffin submits: David Coffin co-wrote this article. In the 1970s, Baby Boomers were swelling job ranks and women were moving out of the home and into the paid workforce in most of the industrialized world.  At the same time, OPEC..

» June Auto Sales: No Good News Here for Satellite Radio
07/04/08 08:26 from Seeking Alpha
Tyler Savery submits: Auto sales are down. This has been the month after month news item for most auto manufacturers. With the exception of a few bright spots, the entire auto industry is in a slump. With high gas prices, many companies ar..

» Nvidia - Ouch!
07/04/08 08:24 from Seeking Alpha
Trader Mark submits: Nvidia (NVDA) is a name a few readers have nominated as we looked for some new names in the tech space - the stock was approaching a triple bottom in the $18s after starting the year in mid $30s (50% drop). However, We..

» Does Valuation Matter?
07/04/08 08:18 from Seeking Alpha
Trader Mark submits: I always wonder about this valuation thing - at times it simply seems all that matters is what people want to buy (relative strength) and valuation means nothing. Case in point, I'd like to show you two stocks. #1 is a..

» Big Lots, Wal-Mart and Costco: 3 Musketeers of the Pooring of America
07/04/08 08:14 from Seeking Alpha
Trader Mark submits: We've discussed all these names in the past [ Dec 16: Target Shoppers Turning into Walmart Shoppers ] - the 3 Musketeers of the weakening US consumer - Walmart (WMT), Big Lots (BIG) , and Costco (COST) , but it is help..

» Chindex Complains About Slow China Medical Device Approvals
07/04/08 08:14 from Seeking Alpha
ChinaBio Today submits: Chindex International (NSDQ: CHDX) received SFDA approval for two medical devices: the daVinci S Surgical System and the AlexLaser. Although Chindex was pleased to receive the approvals, its announcement was full of..

» 7 Stocks I'm Buying Now
07/04/08 08:13 from Seeking Alpha
Mike Stathis submits: As the markets continue their decline, there are a few stocks I think are now priced at a great value. Nvidia Complete Story »

» Mid-Year Market Roundup
07/04/08 08:04 from Seeking Alpha
Andy Sutton submits: I would say that things are downright scary, but I am afraid that would be a colossal understatement at this point. 2008 has been pretty much what we expected and then some. A couple of themes have emerged during the f..

» Getting It Wrong: Analysts Contribute to the Current Downturn
07/04/08 07:57 from Seeking Alpha
Zacks.com submits: Incorrect forecasts by brokerage analysts are contributing to the current downturn in the equity markets. Energy, finance and technology are the three biggest components of the large-cap index, and analysts have been con..

» What's Behind Hansen's Smackdown?
07/04/08 07:47 from Seeking Alpha
David Kretzmann submits: Yesterday Hansen was smacked down to $25, so I thought I'd take a look into it and see if there is good reason for the drop. The stock is at a new 52 week low and it actually hasn't been at these levels since 2006…

» International ETF Update: Japan, China, Australia
07/04/08 07:45 from Seeking Alpha
Tom Lydon (ETF Trends) submits: Japan's Mellow Mood Fills ETF And Outlook Confidence is on the down side among big Japanese manufacturers, setting a mellow mood, and low morale for related ETFs. The recent fall was less than expected, and ..

» The Long Case for China Medical Technologies
07/04/08 07:41 from Seeking Alpha
Chandler Lutz submits: The Short Story China Medical Technologies (CMED) is a fast growing Chinese in-vitro diagnostic [IVD] company that possesses a compelling business model and low cost operations to take advantage of China’s cont..

» Yahoo and Icahn Could Be Talking Compromise
07/04/08 07:40 from Seeking Alpha
Tech Confidential submits: With his chances to take full control of the Yahoo! Inc. (YHOO) board of directors somewhere between slim and none, Carl Icahn's best bet to have a say in the Internet company's future lies in getting a few seats..

» The Promise of Nortel's 40G Technology
07/04/08 07:36 from Seeking Alpha
Mark Evans submits: One of the key questions facing Nortel (NT) is where/if its next high-growth market will emerge. A year ago, Nortel was bullish on Wi-Max but the recent joint venture with Alvarion (ALVR) made it abundantly clear that t..

» ASA Limited: A Golden Opportunity
07/04/08 07:33 from Seeking Alpha
Marc Courtenay submits: In the investment world it is easy to overlook some lucrative opportunities, especially ones that sell below their net asset value [NAV]. ASA (Bermuda) Ltd (NYSE:ASA) is an employee owned investment manager with app..

» Berkshire Hathaway: At a Good Buying Opportunity
07/04/08 07:32 from Seeking Alpha
George Spritzer submits: I've been a long term owner of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) since March 2000. I bought one A share for $52,500 in a taxable account. Here are some things I like about it: Complete Story »

» Retailers: Avoid This Sector, Then Look for Bargains
07/04/08 07:30 from Seeking Alpha
Wall Street Strategies submits: June sales tallies from retailers are set to be released on July 10, and in our view there will be a two part story. Right off the bat, we must say that investors should not foresee strong sales readings by ..

» Venture Capitalists Face an Existential Dilemma
07/04/08 07:28 from Seeking Alpha
Ken Schachter submits: As in the Jean-Paul Sartre play “No Exit,” venture capitalists are facing an existential dilemma. They are funding and developing companies with no immediate path to reward their limited partner investors..

» Vietnam Suspends Gold Imports, Follows FDR's Great Depression Lead
07/04/08 07:26 from Seeking Alpha
The Sovereign Society submits: by Eric Roseman It seems Vietnam just borrowed a page from the U.S. financial-history books - by suspending all gold imports in June. Complete Story »

» Year-Over-Year Jobless Growth Falls to Zero
07/04/08 07:16 from Seeking Alpha
Tim Iacono submits: Annual job growth fell to 0.0 percent, its lowest level since November of 2003, as the Department of Labor reported the U.S. economy shed 62,000 jobs in June and the unemployment rate held steady at 5.5 percent. Downwar..

» Within 5 Tonnes of a New Record at GLD
07/04/08 07:12 from Seeking Alpha
Tim Iacono submits: The SPDR Gold Shares ETF (GLD) continues to add to its holdings (see the company's website for details). As of Wednesday, the "tonnes in the trust" for the world's most popular gold ETF increased to 659 tonnes, just sho..

» Crystal River’s Q2 Write-Downs Could Bankrupt the Company
07/04/08 07:11 from Seeking Alpha
Greg Weston submits: Crystal River Capital, Inc. (CRZ) is a leveraged financial entity structured as a Real Estate Investment Trust. I think that the company - within two to six months - will be insolvent and its stock worthless (and trade..

» Polysilicon-Based PV Manufacturers: Clarifying the Financial Issues
07/04/08 06:54 from Seeking Alpha
Envoy Global Research submits: In this post, I will address the two most common criticisms of our article last month on several polysilicon-based PV manufacturers, such as Canadian solar (CSIQ) and Yingli Green Energy (YGE), and thereby ho..

» GFD Guide to Total Returns: Market History - and Future?
07/04/08 05:53 from Seeking Alpha
Mebane Faber submits: The markets are closed and I am outta here for some fish tacos, some beach, some surf, and some bbqing. If you need some weekend reading, here goes… This post below reminds me of Question #2 from Fisher's book: Comp..

» Market Action: Past, Present, Future
07/04/08 05:45 from Seeking Alpha
David M. Gordon submits: The great thing is to last and get your work done and see and hear and learn and understand; and write when there is something that you know; and not before; and not too damned much after. — Ernest Hemingway The m..

» Assurant Is A Compelling Short Sell
07/03/08 21:32 from Seeking Alpha
Wall Street Mayhem submits: Over the past 6 months Assurant  (AIZ) has so far managed to get through the credit crisis unscathed. A few weeks ago a Barron’s article even suggested that Assurant will ultimately benefit from a con..

» Broadcom Enters FTTH Chipset Market
07/03/08 20:06 from Seeking Alpha
Andrew Schmitt submits: Broadcom is entering the PON chip market and has secured design wins with a major tier-1 equipment vendor. While this is something predicted here, the timetable was sooner than expected. This will have a substantial..

» China Mobile Working Toward iPhone Deal
07/03/08 19:54 from Seeking Alpha
Ron Haruni submits: According to industry reports, in five years, more than 30% of mobile phone subscribers in China will be reading books and newspapers through their phones. The combination of greater 3G adoption and a marked increase in..

» AMD: Chipping Away at Intel
07/03/08 19:46 from Seeking Alpha
Ockham Research submits: Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has increased its market share compared to its rival Intel (INTC), according to a July 1 st report from iSuppli. AMD’s market share has increased 2.2% over the last year compared ..

» A Demographic Headwind for the U.S. Dollar
07/03/08 19:44 from Seeking Alpha
Cam Hui submits: What if we had a time machine that could tell you how the world markets and economies are going to behave? We do – it’s called demographics. While this time machine won’t tell you the winner of the Super ..

» Investing in Africa - Three Options
07/03/08 19:40 from Seeking Alpha
As discussed in my last post , getting exposure to the markets’ least developed economies is hard to do with exchange-traded funds. The African continent seems to garner only slightly more investor interest than Antarctica and that i..

» The Dow In Euros
07/03/08 17:10 from Seeking Alpha
J.C. Kommer submits: The Dow Jones Industrial Average - in Euros - is almost 50% off from 2001: Complete Story »

» Thursday Options Outlook: ZION, KEY, JEF, AKS, DIA, RIO, NVDA, VCLK, BIG
07/03/08 17:00 from Seeking Alpha
Rebecca Engmann Darst co-authored this article. Zions Bancorp (ZION) –Despite welterweight volumes trading on an abbreviated pre-holiday session, option activity in regional bank suggested more punishing declines in store when the market..

» Rising Asian Demand Keeps Coal Prices Inflated
07/03/08 16:49 from Seeking Alpha
Ron Haruni submits: Coal prices on Wednesday plunged in Europe and the United States. European benchmark coal dipped by as much as $25 a tonne, to below $200, which sent U.S. benchmark coal falling by $20 a tonne. Australian markets also g..

» Skype Appoints New COO
07/03/08 16:22 from Seeking Alpha
OnlyEBAY submits: Skype Wednesday announced it named Scott Durchslag as Chief Operating Officer. This is an important hire as it brings an individual with over 20 years of experience, including 5 years at the helm of Motorola's $25 billion..

» Nvidia Tanks on Defective Chip, Weak Outlook
07/03/08 16:17 from Seeking Alpha
Larry Dignan ( ZDNet ) submits: Nvidia (NVDA) said its fiscal second quarter revenue will fall well short of targets because of weak demand, pricing pressure from AMD’s ATI and a faulty graphics processors on older notebook systems. ..

» Inflation, at the Core, Is Food and Energy
07/03/08 16:14 from Seeking Alpha
Michael Steinberg submits: The Federal Reserve claims that it cannot directly control the cost of food and energy, partly because they are pure commodities. It is not until these commodities enter the value added chain that their inflated ..

» ETF Watch: June 26-July 2
07/03/08 16:08 from Seeking Alpha
IndexUniverse submits: By Heather Bell NEW LISTINGS Complete Story »

» Corel F2Q08 (Qtr End 5/31/08) Earnings Call Transcript
07/03/08 16:06 from Seeking Alpha
Corel Corporation (CREL) F2Q08 Earnings Call Complete Story »

» Google's MySpace Problem Is Serving Up Unrelated Ads
07/03/08 15:51 from Seeking Alpha
Eric Savitz (Barron's) submits: The problem Google (GOOG) is having monetizing its inventory of News Corp.’s (NWS) MySpace pages may have more to do with faulty algorithms for ad serving than it does inherent issues with social netwo..

» WSJ.com Will Go Free, Eventually
07/03/08 15:47 from Seeking Alpha
Felix Salmon submits: Congratulations to wsj.com for posting impressive growth in both page views and unique visitors over the past year. Don't pay too much attention to the numbers quoted: they're "based on the company's internal traffic ..

» Credit Suisse Cuts AT&T, Verizon Estimates on Macro Concerns
07/03/08 15:45 from Seeking Alpha
Eric Savitz (Barron's) submits: Credit Suisse analyst Christopher Larsen Thursday morning trimmed his estimates on both AT&T (T) and Verizon (VZ), noting several areas where results are being affected by a slower economy. Larsen writes tha..

» Pfizer: Dividend Yield Makes It a Haven in This Market
07/03/08 15:43 from Seeking Alpha
Mark Krieger submits: Pfizer (PFE) has seen its shares sink to a ten year low. Wall Street has punished the stock due to a lackluster first quarter that saw revenues fall 5%, clipping earnings by 15% from $0.48 to $0.41. The shortfall was ..

» Progressive Introduces Variable Dividend Based on Profit
07/03/08 15:38 from Seeking Alpha
Tyler McKinna submits: Progressive Corporation (PGR) of Auto Insurance fame has changed the landscape of dividend payment to shareholders.  And they did so in dramatic fashion.  Progressive  introduced a new dividend policy ..

» Google Talk for iPhone: It's Not What You Think
07/03/08 15:37 from Seeking Alpha
John Biggs submits:   Complete Story »

» Moody’s: Negative Outlook for U.S. Chemicals Companies
07/03/08 15:30 from Seeking Alpha
Research Recap submits: The effect of high oil prices is working its way through to chemicals companies, resulting in a negative outlook for most parts of the industry, according to Moody’s. “Due to the rising cost of oil and e..

» Stimulus Checks Can't Offset Weakening Job Market
07/03/08 15:22 from Seeking Alpha
James Picerno submits: The stimulus checks may be propping up consumer spending, at least temporarily, but the job market is still weakening. Initial jobless claims jumped to 404,000 mark last week, up from 388,000 the week previous the La..

» New Up/Down Oil ETFs Open for Business
07/03/08 15:10 from Seeking Alpha
Tom Lydon (ETF Trends) submits: Just as two ETFs tied to the price movements of oil reached their termination triggers and closed on June 25, two more will be entering the market space to replace them. MacroMarkets launched MacroShares $10..

» Hot Money in China
07/03/08 15:05 from Seeking Alpha
Michael Pettis submits: I was too busy to post anything Tuesday, but there wasn’t a whole lot new to say except to bemoan the stock market’s performance, again.   The SSE Composite dropped 3.1%.   Wednesday after a ro..

» Carlisle Companies: Dividend Champion
07/03/08 15:00 from Seeking Alpha
Dobromir Stoyanov submits: Carlisle Companies Incorporated (CSL) engages in the manufacture and sale of construction materials in the United States and internationally. It operates in five segments: Construction Materials, Industrial Compo..

» More Happy Talk from the Same Clueless Crowd
07/03/08 14:53 from Seeking Alpha
Barry Ritholtz submits: David Leonhardt discusses a few items today which are regular discussion points here at TBP. My favorite lately is why the public is so much gloomier than the pundits:   Complete Story »

» Apple Shareholders: Get a Grip
07/03/08 14:45 from Seeking Alpha
Eric Savitz (Barron's) submits: Apple (AAPL) shareholders: you need to get a grip. On Wednesday, AAPL sold off on news that the company, CEO Steve Jobs, former CFO Fred Anderson, former general counsel Nancy Heinen and several Apple board ..

» Green Commodities for a Complete Green Portfolio
07/03/08 14:29 from Seeking Alpha
Matthew Moscardi submits: For those of you that have been reading the Smug Investments blog, Smugly Green , you will be familiar with our total green portfolio concept. For non readers, the ever expanding universe of green, light green, an..

» ValueClick: Has the Hunted Become the Hunter?
07/03/08 14:27 from Seeking Alpha
John Gilliam submits: It has long been assumed by many investors that acquiring Valueclick (VCLK) would be the first step in "plan B" for Microsoft (MSFT) if its bid to take over Yahoo  (YHOO) was unsuccessful. When MSFT's Steve Ballm..

» Payroll Numbers In Line, Dollar Lower on ECB Position
07/03/08 14:19 from Seeking Alpha
Kathy Lien submits: The jobs number for the month of June was bad but not bad enough to stifle the gains in the US dollar. Non-farm payrolls fell by 62k, the sixth consecutive decline in a row. The April number also was revised down from -..

» Investing in Colombia's Turnaround
07/03/08 14:14 from Seeking Alpha
Mark Loftin submits: Ask most anyone what comes to mind when mentioning Colombia, and they will likely respond cocaine trafficking, Pablo Escobar, Guerilla rebels, and rampant violence and kidnappings. But times have changed. Complete Stor..

» Central Bank Rates: U.S. vs. Euro
07/03/08 13:45 from Seeking Alpha
Hickey and Walters ( Bespoke ) submit: With today's 25 basis point increase in the ECB's benchmark interest rate, the spread between central bank rates in the US and the Euro region is now at its widest level since the ECB's inception in 1..

» The Lowdown on the New ETF-Based, IQ Alpha Hedge Open-Ended Mutual Fund
07/03/08 13:41 from Seeking Alpha
Roger Nusbaum submits: A reader, perhaps prompted by this article at Index Universe , asked for my take on a yet to list (so it appears) open ended mutual fund called IQ Alpha Hedge Strategy Fund. According to the fact sheet PDF there is n..

» Overstock's Byrne Rewrites History on the 'Sith Lord'
07/03/08 13:40 from Seeking Alpha
Gary Weiss submits: Byrne takes a blue pencil to his Sith Lord ravings My favorite flipped-out CEO, Patrick Byrne of Overstock.com (OSTK), has been working intently at his day job, which is haunting Internet message boards in pursuit of wh..

» Another Macroshares Oil Arbitrage Opportunity
07/03/08 13:28 from Seeking Alpha
Gary Lucido submits: Back in April I identified an opportunity arbitraging the MacroShares Up UCR and Down DCR shares . The Down shares were overpriced relative to a fairly equivalent investment in USO puts. That play paid off well for me ..

» Options Trader: Thursday Outlook
07/03/08 13:25 from Seeking Alpha
Phil Davis submits: Wow, now we are looking at a good open! The ECB did, as expected, tighten rates by a quarter point , now 4.25% to our Fed’s 2% and our payrolls were indeed down 62,000 jobs with 5.5% unemployment and May was revis..

» Challenge for Ford and GM: To Stay in Business
07/03/08 13:20 from Seeking Alpha
Michael Shedlock submits: CNN Money is reporting Ford sales plunge . Ford Motor (F) reported that its U.S. sales tumbled 28% in June from a year ago, in what could turn out to be the weakest month for auto sales in 16 years. The No. 3 auto..

» Auto Sales Dismal: GM and Chrysler Oddly Optimistic
07/03/08 13:17 from Seeking Alpha
Michael Shedlock submits: uto sales were generally dismal across the board, with Honda the only bright spot as reported in an Auto Makers Report by the Wall Street Journal. The declines were exacerbated fewer selling days; there were 24 se..

» Five Tactics to Beat a Bear Market
07/03/08 13:15 from Seeking Alpha
Keith Fitz-Gerald submits: The Dow Jones Industrial Average is already in the bear’s grasp. And the U.S. economy may well be headed for a recession. But here’s the ultimate irony: Bear-market investing offers a direct pathway to the bi..

» Starbucks Tells Walmart:: "Here, You Take Them."
07/03/08 13:12 from Seeking Alpha
Trader Mark submits: More great news from our wonderful service economy - a new slew of 12,000 potential Walmart (WMT) workers have just been borne. Lucky us. Of course these people will disappear into the ether of the "new jobs" created b..

» Petrohawk and Chesapeake Fly on Haynesville Shale News
07/03/08 13:06 from Seeking Alpha
Trader Mark submits: Petrohawk Energy (HK) and Chesapeake Energy (CHK) both are ripping up 9-11% in early action - right now anything associated with the Haynesville Shale is gold in this sector - not that the other natural gas players are..

» A Selloff Follows the Out-of-the-Blue Rally - Not Good
07/03/08 13:00 from Seeking Alpha
Trader Mark submits: That was not the right way to follow up a reversal day (Tuesday). To open with strength and close at the low of the day, completely erasing Tuesday's reversal (which was in itself bullish) - not a good thing. That said..

» What Will Be Today's Rate Action?
07/03/08 12:59 from Seeking Alpha
Macro Man submits: This market just doesn't get any easier, does it? Consider that in the last day and a half, we've observed the following: a) A stunning intraday rally on Tuesday off the S&P 500 Maginot line, apparently based on GM (GM) ..

» Does Big Oil's Apathy Justify Proposals to Tax Windfall Profits?
07/03/08 12:58 from Seeking Alpha
Vikram Saxena submits: Crude Oil's relentless march towards the near term spike target of $150 is now threatening to send the Global Economy into a recession. Big Oil companies (Exxon-Mobil (XOM), Chevron (CVX), Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A), ..

» Starbucks Makes Long-Term Changes, but Will Face Short-Term Decline
07/03/08 12:54 from Seeking Alpha
Chris Krasowski submits: The global gourmet coffee giant is and has been under tremendous pressure to come up with something, anything to regain investor confidence, as a weakening US economy is having a dramatic effect on earnings. The co..

» Yield Spreads Are Favorable For Further Euro Strength
07/03/08 12:45 from Seeking Alpha
Ashraf Laidi submits: The dollar dropped to new session lows as the June ADP survey on private payrolls dropped 79K, versus expectations of an increase of 20K decline following a 40K increase in May. Notably, the track record of the ADP su..

» A Look at the Russell 1000 and the Russell 2000
07/03/08 12:37 from Seeking Alpha
Dan Weiss submits: Below, is an examination of performance for the Russell 1000 and Russell 2000 Indices by GICS sector followed by my commentary. Russell 1000- Large Cap Performance: by GICS Sector Index -1.9% Energy +19.2% (14% of Index)..