Happy New Year!!!!!!!!

To all my blog readers, have a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

The Pursuit of Happyness Movie: A Quick Review

In a couple of my previous blogs, I recommended the stockbroker movie, The Pursuit of Happyness, site unseen, based only on the plot and trailers. I finally got a chance to see the movie.
I will provide my extensive review when I get the chance. My quick review: two thumbs up.

Miss May 1998 Wins Playboy Playmate Stock Picking Contest

Deanna Brooks, who was Playboy's Miss May 1998, won the Playboy Playmate Stock Picking Contest with a return on her portfolio of 43.43% for the year. She had a 10% higher return than the second highest contestant. Interesting to note that Deanna Brooks was the oldest of the contestants. Her investments, along with the stock symbols and the returns for the year, were:

YAMANA GOLD (AUY) 99.39%

HAUPPAUGE DIGITAL, INC. (HAUP) 43.98%

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES (IBM) 18.19%

PETROLEO BRASILEIRO SA (PBR) 44.51%

PFIZER INC. (PFE) 11.06%

http://tradingmarkets.com/stock_picking
_contest/index.cfm?sec=dailystanding

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia = TONS

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia

Question:

What stock has the stock symbol TONS ?

Answer:

Novamerican Steel, Inc. a Canadian based processer and distributor of carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminum products.

These stock symbols are known as Personalized Stock Symbols (TM), similar to personalized license plates. The symbol spells out a word, which is not a word in the company name and is not the initials of the company name. However, the word does describe the company's business. (Special thanks to InvestmentTrivia.com )

Buying versus Renting: Residential REIT’s

Real Estate Investment Trusts [REIT’s] avoid double taxation and their yields can be fairly high. REIT’s are not subject to federal income tax as long as they distribute at least 90% of the taxable income to shareholders. However, REIT’s are also quite varied in how they operate.

REITs are generally divided into two primary types: mortgage [or debt] REIT’s which own mortgages primarily on homes and equity REIT’s which own the properties themselves. Then there are sub-types; for example, the equity REIT’s invest in various types of properties, such as industrial buildings, office buildings, residential, retail, and diversified. There are even more narrow categories. Residential can include apartment buildings, manufactured housing parks (mobile home parks), and jails.

With the downturn in the housing market, many potential buyers are doing a “wait and see” and continuing to rent. The Wall Street Journal Online recently ran an article called “Renters Gloat Over the Housing Slump.” If mortgage defaults increase, debt REIT’s will suffer. However, if the number of renters increases, equity REIT’s that specialize in apartments can benefit.

The following is a list of the highest yielding residential REIT along with whether it is an equity or a debt REIT, and the type of property the REIT invests in.

Hanover Capital Mortgage Holding (HCM) 12.1% Mortgage
American Mortgage Acceptance (AMC) 9.2% Mortgage
BRT Realty Trust (BRT) 8.4% Mortgage
Sun Communities (SUI) 7.7% Equity-Manufactured housing
First RE Investment Trust of NJ (FREVS.OB) 7.7% Equity-Apartments, Commercial
UMH Properties (UMH) 6.6% Equity-Manufactured housing
Investors Real Estate Trust (IRETS) 6.5% Equity-Apartments, Commercial
Highland Hospitality (HIH) 6.2% Equity-Extended stay hotels
CentraCore Properties Trust (CPV) 5.7% Equity- Detention facilities
America 1st Apartments (APRO) 5.4% Equity-Apartments
Associated Estates Realty Corp. (AEC) 5% Equity-Apartments
American Campus Communities (ACC) 4.8% Equity-Apartments
Home Properties (HME) 4.4% Equity-Apartments
Fieldstone Investments (FICC) 4.3% Mortgage
Apartment Investment & Mgmt (AIV) 4.3% Equity-Apartments
United Dominion Realty Trust (UDR) 4.0% Equity-Apartments

Author does not own any of the above at this time.

Wall Street Quotation of the Week

"The most valuable things in life are not measured in monetary terms. The really important things are not houses and lands, stocks and bonds, automobiles and real state, but friendships, trust, confidence, empathy, mercy, love and faith."
Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) philosopher & mathematician

NYSE will be Closed on Tuesday

The New York Stock Exchange has announced that they will be closed on Tuesday, January 2, in memory of the death of President Ford. The exchange will be closed four days in a row, a very rare event. NASDAQ had already announced that they would be closed on Tuesday.

ProstituteFree New Years Prizes

In South Korea, the government is giving out prizes to employees who avoidprostitutes during New Years Eve.

http://today.reuters.com/news/
articlenews.aspx?type=oddlyEnough
News&storyid=2006-12-26T132938Z_01
_SEO143062_RTRUKOC_0_US-KOREA
-PROSTITUTES.xml

Were they "Ma-nipple-ating" Apple Stock This Week?

Many years ago, when I worked as a stockbroker, there was a retired fellow who used to call in for his quotes (this was in the pre-PC, pre-Internet days). Whenever his stocks were down, he used to say "They're ma-nipple-ating it I tell you. There ma-nipple-ating it! Those specialists are manippleating the stock market." So was Apple Computer (AAPL) being manippleated, I mean manipulated, this week? It raises eyebrows when the stock is down about 5% one day, up around 5% today, on basically old news. It wouldn't be the specialists since it is traded on NASDAQ, but could it be other investment groups that are behind this? Phil's Stock World wrote an interesting piece on this.

Author owns AAPL.

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia = CHUX

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia

Question:

What stock has the stock symbol CHUX ?

Answer:

O'Charley's Inc. owns and operates restaurants.

These stock symbols are known as Personalized Stock Symbols (TM), similar to personalized license plates. The symbol spells out a word, which is not a word in the company name and is not the initials of the company name. However, the word does describe the company's business. (Special thanks to InvestmentTrivia.com )

What Stock Was Up 225% Yesterday, Traded as High as 200,000

When doing research on percentage gainers for yesterday, I came across the stock symbol ZAZZT. When I went to Yahoo Finance to look for details on the stock, no company name was listed, it showed that the stock closed at 10.75 the previous day, and closed at 35.00 on Thursday, an increase of 225%. It also showed that the stock traded between 10 and 200,000 yesterday. So what the heck kind of a stock is this? After doing a lot of searching, I found that ZAZZT is a NASDAQ test symbol for IPO's.

NASDAQ Monthly Short Interest Viewer

NASDAQ has a service on their site which allows you to check on the short interest on any NASDAQ stock for any month. For example, if you enter Cisco (CSCO) for the month or December [short interest is measured on the 15th of every month], you come up with the fact that the short interest is 63,173,253 shares, an increase of 7.39% from the prior month, with an average daily share volume of 48,469,163 and 1.3 days to cover.

NASDAQ will be Closed Tuesday, Awaiting Word from NYSE: Ford Funeral

Due to the fact that Tuesday will be a national day of mourning for President Ford, NASDAQ has decided to remain closed. The NYSE is expecting to make an announcement shortly.

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/061228/
ford_markets.html?.v=8

Does a 30% Yield Mean Smooth Sailing or Choppy Seas Ahead?

The shipping stock sector [meaning companies that use ships for shipping, not FedEx (FDX) or UPS (UPS) type shipping] is one which is noted for its high yields. There are currently 20 that have yields of 5% or more, with one, Frontline Ltd. (FRO), yielding in excess of 30%. This Bermuda based company owns and operates oil tankers for transporting crude oil, coal and iron ore.

Although the company has been paying dividends on a regular basis [March, June, August or September, and December) along with special dividends, the amount of the dividend has fluctuated dramatically, making it very difficult to determine what the yield really is. Do you look at historical dividends for the last year, or project future dividends based on the latest quarterly payment? If you project, the yield comes out to 31.3%, but based on history, the yield is ‘only’ 21.9%.

The second highest on the list, Knightsbridge Tankers Ltd. (VLCCF), another fluctuating but consistent dividend payer, has a forward yield of 17.1% but a backwards yield of 15.4%. Nordic American Tanker Shipping Ltd. (NAT) has paid quarterly dividends since 2001, but not one dividend payment has been the same as any other dividend payment they have made. Of the top three yielding shipping stocks, this is the only one that has a higher backwards yield that forwards yield. The projected yield is 15.3% and whereas the yield based on the last four payments is 16.9%. Go figure.

Remember, that just because a stock is paying a fairly consistent high yield, doesn’t mean that they will continue to do so and doesn’t mean that they may eliminate their dividend altogether. Jim Cramer has panned shipping stocks (including DSX and VLCCF) on a couple of his recent shows due to excessive number of shipping stocks and overabundance of ships. The price of the stock can drop far more than the dividends earned. In addition, many of these stocks have wide bid and asked spreads and low daily volumes. Do your research and assume worst case before setting sail on shipping stocks for their high yields.

The following is a list of shipping stocks in order of highest projected yield, based on their latest quarterly payment.

Frontline Ltd. (FRO) 31.3%
Knightsbridge Tankers Ltd. (VLCCF) 17.1&
Nordic American Tanker Shipping Ltd. (NAT) 15.3%
Omega Navigation (ONAV) 12.7%
Eagle Bulk Shipping (EGLE) 11.8%
Double Hull Tankers (DHT) 10.7%
Diana Shipping (DSX) 10.5%
Arlington Tankers (ATB) 10.4%
US Shipping Partners (USS) 9.7%
Aries Maritime Transport (RAMS) 8.6%
Ship Finance International Ltd. (SFL) 8.5%
Genco Shipping & Trans (GSTL) 8.5%
General Maritime (GMR) 8.1%
Quintana Maritime (QMAR) 7.6%
Seaspan (SSW) 7.5%
K-Sea Transport Partners (KSP) 7.2%
Stealthgas (GASS) 6.3%
Teekay LNG Partners LP. (TGP) 5.7%
Tsakos Energy Navigation (TNP) 5.5%
Navios Maritime (BULK) 5%

Disclosure: Author does not own any of the above at this time.

How About Investing in Hockey Sticks: $2.2 million

A Canadian was the top auction bidder for a hockey stick made in the 1850's, paying $2.2 million.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006
/hockey/nhl/12/23/hockey.stick.ap/
index.html?section=si_latest

Beatles to Appear on Postage Stamps

On January 9, the Royal Mail in UK will release six different Beatles stamps for the first time ever.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061228/
od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_britain_beatles

Stock Exchange Stocks

With the enormous increase in the trading of stocks, investors have been looking at publicly traded stock exchanges to invest in. The number of trades that took place on the NYSE Group (NYX on the NYSE) exchanges in 2004 was 440,393,314 (please note: this is the number of trades, not the number of shares). This year, the number of trades is 773,640,472 just through the end of November. This is an increase of 76% in two years without including the trades for the month of December.
The NYSE Group owns the New York Stock Exchange [also known as the NYSE] and NYSE Arca. Although the New York Stock Exchange was founded in 1792, it became a public company on March 7, when the exchange merged with Archipelago Holdings, Inc. to become NYSE Group.

On December 20, NYX announced that its shareholders approved the purchase of the Euronext stock exchange, which is based in Paris but has locations in London, Brussels, Lisbon, and Amsterdam. This would turn NYX into an almost global exchange, with Asia being the last area of expansion. Although the trailing P/E is atmospheric at 109, the forward P/E is a more reasonable 41. Quarterly revenue growth is in excess of 73%.

The biggest American competitor to NYX is NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. (NDAQ on NASDAQ). Although NASDAQ was founded in 1971, it went public in 2002 [trading on its own exchange, of course]. It is actually larger than the New York Stock Exchange based on number of securities traded and average number of shares traded per day. The stock has a forward P/E of 20 with a quarterly revenue growth of over 82%. NDAQ is trying to go global also with the pursuit of the London Stock Exchange.
The International Securities Exchange Holdings Inc. (ISE on NYSE) is an electronic exchange for stock options and index options. It was founded in 1997 and went public last year. It has a forward P/E of 27. The quarterly revenue growth is 30%.

Related investments are the derivative exchanges. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings, Inc. company (CME on NYSE) and CBOT Holdings, Inc. (BOT on NYSE) are futures and options exchanges that trade futures contracts and options on futures contracts on interest rates, stock indexes, and other investments.

Author owns NYX.

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia = SEED

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia

Question:

What stock has the stock symbol SEED ?

Answer:

Origin Agritech Limited, which is involved in research, development, and distribution of hybrid crop seeds in China.

These stock symbols are known as Personalized Stock Symbols (TM), similar to personalized license plates. The symbol spells out a word, which is not a word in the company name and is not the initials of the company name. However, the word does describe the company's business. (Special thanks to InvestmentTrivia.com )

Free Stock Certificate

A dealer in antique stock certificates, AntiqueStocks.com, is giving away a free old stock certificate for a limited time, while supplies last. Info can be found at:
antiquestocks.stores.yahoo.net/penrailfrest.html

Year-End List of Monthly Dividend Stocks

I have added over 25 additional stocks to my list of stocks [including closed end funds or CEF's] that pay dividends monthly. The list now totals over 125 different monthly dividend payers. Monthly dividend stocks are useful for investors looking for regular periodic retirement income and they are useful for retirement plans due to faster compounding of money. This list includes closed end bond funds, Canadian royalty trusts, real estate investment trusts, oil income trusts, and other income trusts. Due to requests from readers, I have sorted the list by yield, from highest to lowest. In addition, I have identified the Canadian trusts due to the tax withholding issue which can significantly affect the yield, especially with regard to holding these Canadian Oil Income Trusts in retirement plans. The list shows the name of the stock, the stock market symbol, the yield, and if the stock is Canadian.

For a list of all the monthly dividend stocks in an Excel format which you can download, sort, add to, delete from, and change, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Advantage Energy Income Fund (AAV) 18.8% [Canada]
Enterra Energy Trust (ENT) 17.6% [Canada]
Harvest Energy Trust (HTE) 17.3% [Canada]
Canetic Resources (CNE) 17.2% [Canada]
Pengrowth Energy Trust (PGH) 15.1% [Canada]
Precision Drilling (PDS) 13.6% [Canada]
PrimeWest Energy Trust (PWI) 13.4% [Canada]
Boulder Growth & Income Fund Inc. (BIF) 12.6%
Penn West Energy Trust (PWE) 11.6% [Canada]
Provident Energy Trust (PVX) 11.5% [Canada]
PIMCO High Income Fund (PHK) 11.2%
Baytex Energy (BTE) 9.7% [Canada]
Eaton Vance CRD Opportunities (EOE) 9.7%
Enerplus Resources Fund (ERF) 9.7% [Canada]
Nuveen Equity Premium Advantage Fund (JLA) 9.5%
Nuveen Equity Premium Opportunity Fund (JSN) 9.5%
Nuveen Equity Premium Income Fund (JPZ) 9.0%
Eaton Vance Floating-Rate Income Trust (EFT) 8.9%
Eaton Vance Senior Floating Rate Trust (EFR) 8.8%
Pioneer High Income Trust (PHT) 8.8%
Van Kampen Senior Income Trust (VVR) 8.8%
ING GL Equity Dividend (IGD) 8.7%
Lehman Brothers First Trust Income Opp. (LBC) 8.7%
Scudder High Income Trust (KHI) 8.6%
Alpine Global Dynami (AGD) 8.4%
Eaton Vance Enhanced Equity Income Fund II (EOS) 8.4%
Nuveen Equity Premium Growth Fund (JPG) 8.4%
Van Kampen High Income Trust II (VLT) 8.3%
First Trust/Four Corners Senior Fltg Rate Inc. (FCM) 8.1%
Nuveen Preferred Convertible Income Fund 2 (JQC) 8.1%
Western Asset High Income Fund II Inc. (HIX) 8.1%
BlackRock Enhanced Dividend Achievers Trust (BDJ) 8.0%
Eaton Vance Senior Income Trust (EVF) 8.0%
Evergreen International Balanced Income Fund (EBI) 8.0%
United Dominion 8.5 (UDM) 8.0%
BlackRock Global Floating Rate Income Trust (BGT) 7.9%
Pimco Global Stocksplus Income Fund (PGP) 7.9%
Strategic Global Income Fund Inc. (SGL) 7.9%
BlackRock Limited Duration Income Trust (BLW) 7.8%
Blackrock World Investment Trust (BWC) 7.8%
Cross Timbers Royalty Trust (CRT) 7.8%
Eaton Vance Enhanced Equity Income Fund (EOI) 7.8%
Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund (HIO) 7.8%
American Strategic Income Portfolio III (CSP) 7.7%
BlackRock Enhanced Government Fund, Inc. (EGF) 7.5%
Franklin Templeton Ltd. Duration Income Trust (FTF) 7.5%
Advent Claymore Convertible Secur. & Income (AVK) 7.4%
Nuveen Real Estate Income Fund (JRS) 7.4%
Western Asset Global High Income Fund Inc. (EHI) 7.3%
Scudder Multi-Market Income Trust (KMM) 7.1%
Gabelli Gold, Natural Resources & Income (GGN) 7.0%
ING Clarion Real Estate Income Fund (IIA) 7.0%
Scudder Strategic Income Trust (KST) 7.0%
ACM Government Opportunity Fund Inc. (AOF) 6.9%
Alliance World Dollar Government Fund II (AWF) 6.9%
Morgan Stanley Municipal Premium Income (PIA) 6.9%
Permian Basin Royalty Trust (PBT) 6.8%
RMR Real Estate Fund (RMR) 6.8%
Morgan Stanley Quality Municipal Income Trust (IQI) 6.7%
Aberdeen Asia-Pacific Income Fund Inc. (FAX) 6.6%
AIM Select Real Estate Income Fund (RRE) 6.5%
San Juan Basin Royalty Trust (SJT) 6.5%
Colonial Intermarket Income Trust 1 (CMK) 6.4%
Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Income Opp. (PFO) 6.4%
Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Inc. (NRO) 6.4%
Van Kampen Income Trust (VIN) 6.4%
RMR Hospitality and Real Estate Fund (RHR) 6.3%
BlackRock Income Opportunity Trust, Inc. (BNA) 6.2%
Scudder RREEF Real Estate Fund II, Inc. (SRO) 6.2%
AEW Real Estate Income Fund (RIF) 6.1%
AmREIT (AMY) 6.1%
BlackRock Income Trust, Inc. (BKT) 6.1%
Gabelli Dividend & Income Trust (GDV) 6.0%
ING Clarion Global Real Estate Income Fund (IGR) 6.0%
Scudder RREEF Real Estate Fund Inc. (SRQ) 6.0%
MFS Multimarket Income Trust (MMT) 5.9%
BlackRock Municipal Income Trust (BFK) 5.8%
Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust (GLU) 5.8%
Hugoton Royalty Trust (HGT) 5.8%
Morgan Stanley Insured Municipal Income (IIM) 5.8%
BlackRock Municipal Income Trust II (BLE) 5.7%
Morgan Stanley Municipal Income Opportunities (OIA) 5.7%
Real Estate Income Fund Inc. (RIT) 5.7%
Putnam Master Intermediate Income Trust (PIM) 5.6%
Putnam Premier Income Trust (PPT) 5.6%
Colonial Municipal Income Trust (CMU) 5.5%
Dreyfus Strategic Municipals Inc. (LEO) 5.5%
MFS Charter Income Trust (MCR) 5.5%
MFS Municipal Income Trust (MFM) 5.5%
Morgan Stanley Municipal Inc. Opp. Trust II (OIB) 5.5%
Realty Income Corp. (O) 5.5%
BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust (BFZ) 5.4%
BlackRock Florida Municipal Income Trust (BBF) 5.4%
Colonial High Income Municipal Trust (CXE) 5.4%
Morgan Stanley Municipal Inc. Opp. Trust III (OIC) 5.4%
Pioneer Municipal High Inc. Advantage Trust (MAV) 5.4%
Scudder Strategic Municipal Income Trust (KSM) 5.4%
BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust (BNY) 5.3%
MFS Government Markets Income Trust (MGF) 5.3%
Putnam Managed Municipal Income Trust (PMM) 5.3%
BlackRock New Jersey Municipal Income Trust (BNJ) 5.2%
MFS Intermediate Income Trust (MIN) 5.2%
Pioneer Muncipal High Income Trust (MHI) 5.2%
Sabine Royalty Trust (SBR) 5.2%
BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust II (BCL) 5.1%
Morgan Stanley California Insured Municipal Inc. (IIC) 5.1%
BlackRock Florida Insured Municipal Income (BAF) 5.0%
Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust (EVN) 5.0%
Inland Real Estate Corp. (IRC) 5.0%
Van Kampen Advantage Municipal Inc. Trust II (VKI) 5.0%
Van Kampen California Value Municipal Income (VCV) 5.0%
BlackRock Insured Municipal Income Trust (BYM) 4.9%
BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust II (BFY) 4.8%
Eaton Vance Pennsylvania Municipal Income (EVP) 4.8%
BlackRock California Insured Municipal Income (BCK) 4.7%
BlackRock New York Insured Municipal Income (BSE) 4.7%
Eaton Vance Florida Municipal Income Trust (FEV) 4.7%
Eaton Vance Michigan Municipal Income Trust (EMI) 4.7%
Eaton Vance New York Municipal Income Trust (EVY) 4.7%
Eaton Vance Ohio Municipal Income Trust (EVO) 4.7%
Neuberger Berman Real Estate Income Fund (NRL) 4.7%
Van Kampen Massachusetts Value Muni Inc. (VMV) 4.7%
Eaton Vance California Municipal Income Trust (CEV) 4.5%
Eaton Vance New Jersey Municipal Inc. Trust (EVJ) 4.5%
Morgan Stanley Government Income Trust (GVT) 4.4%
Scudder Municipal Income Trust (KTF) 4.4%
Eaton Vance Massachusetts Municipal Income (MMV) 4.3%
Mesa Royalty Trust (MTR) 2.2%

No recommendations are expressed or implied with regard to the purchase, sale, holding, or shorting of any of the above stocks. The author owns four of the Canadian trusts listed above. Copyright 2006 Stockerblog, All rights reserved.

PINES and QUIBS and PD's Oh My! Minibonds Anyone?

Have you ever considered Minibonds(TM) for an income portfolio or your retirement plan? These are bonds that are traded just like stocks on the New York Stock Exchange or American Stock Exchange for around $25 per share. They are almost like preferred stocks except that they pay interest instead of dividends and they usually have a specific maturity date. Sometimes they are referred to as PINES (Public Income Notes) or QUIBS (Quarterly Interest Bonds) or QUICS (Quarterly Income Capital Securities) or QUIDS (Quarterly Income Debt Securities). There are even a few that are issued as Perpetual Debt, which means that there is no maturity date.

The advantages of Minibonds to the issuers are that the interest is deductible to the corporation (unlike dividends which are not deductible).

The advantages to the investor are first, that the bonds are 'safer' than preferred stocks (in other words, if the corporation goes out of business, the bonds are generally paid off first before the preferred or common stock). Second, the Minibonds (with the exception of the perpetual debt bonds) have some limited protection against inflation versus preferred stocks in that if interest rates go up after purchasing them, their value will drop, however the par value (usually $25) will be paid back at maturity. Whereas, preferreds have no maturity. The third benefit is the small denomination, especially when looking at a $2,000 IRA investment. A fourth benefit is that since they are traded like stocks, there is more liquidity than buying or selling a $5,000 bond. However, these are still very illiquid investments. Most have a very low daily volume.

Here is a list sorted in order of current yield:

General Motors 7.5 GMS 9.8%
General Motors 7.375 HGM 9.7%
Genl Mtrs Corp Sr Notes BGM 9.6%
General Mtrs 7.25 Notes RGM 9.5%
General Motors 7.25 XGM 9.4%
Gen Motors 7.25 QUIB GMW 9.4%
Great Atl. & Pac 9.375 GAJ 9.2%
Ford Motor 7.6% Notes FCJ 8.3%
A M R Corp 7.875 Pines AAR 8.2%
Converium Fin 8.25 CHF 8.1%
PMA Cap 8.5 Sr Notes PMK 8.1%
Provident Fin Sr Notes PFV 8.0%
Aquila 7.875% QUIBS ILD 7.8%
Realty Income Corp 08 OUI 7.8%
Delphi Fin 8.0 Sr Notes DFY 7.8%
Northern Sts Pwr 8.0 XCH 7.8%
Hilton Hotels 8% QUIBS HLN 7.8%
Stilwell 7.875 Pines SVQ 7.8%
GMAC Llc 7.35 Sr Notes GJM 7.6%
GMAC Llc 7.375% Note GOM 7.6%
Telephone & Data 7.6 TDA 7.5%
GMAC Llc Pines GMA 7.5%
GMAC Llc 7.25% Notes GKM 7.5%
Entergy Louis. Hldgs 7.60% EHL 7.4%
AAG Hldg 7.5 Sr Deb GFW 7.4%
Phoenix Cos 7.45QUIB PFX 7.4%
Natl Rural Util 7.40% NRS 7.3%
Forest Cty Ent. Sr Notes FCY 7.2%
Cons Ed 7.25% Pines EPB 7.1%
AAG Hldg 7.25% Deb GFZ 7.1%
ING Groep Perp Debt INZ 7.1%
Entergy Mississ. 7.25 EMO 7.1%
AT&T Inc 7% Pines SBT 7.0%
ING Groep Perp Debt IND 6.9%
SLM Corp Lkd Notes OSM 6.9%
American Finl 7.125 AFE 6.9%
Finl Sec Assur 6.875 FSB 6.9%
General Mtrs Deb C GPM 6.8%
Telephone & Data Sys TDI 6.8%
Hsbc Fin Corp 6.875 HTB 6.7%
Natl Rural Util 6.75 NRN 6.6%
ENTERGY Arkansas 6.70% EHA 6.6%
Duquesne Light Pines DQC 6.6%
Genl Elec Cap Pines GEA 6.6%
Bank Of Am Corp 6.5% IKJ 6.4%
General Mtr Cv Dbs B GBM 6.3%
Finl Sec Assur Notes FSE 6.2%
Natl Rural Ut Sub Notes NRC 6.2%
Natl Rural Ut Sub Notes NRU 6.2%
Ford Motor Credit 7.375% FCZ 6.2%
SLM Corp Sr Notes JSM 6.1%
AMBAC Fin 5.875 Deb AKT 6.1%
Gulf Power 5.875 Snr GUQ 6.1%
AMBAC Finl 5.95 Debs AKF 6.1%
HSBC Fin Corp 6.0 Notes HTN 6.1%
ING Groep Perp Debt ISP 6.1%
General Elec Cap 6.1 GEC 6.0%

Services and products referred to herein are trademarks, registered trademarks, servicemarks, or registered servicemarks of their respective trademark or servicemark owners. Author owns one of the General Motors notes.

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia = CAKE

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia

Question:

What stock has the stock symbol CAKE ?

Answer:

Cheesecake Factory Incorporated which operates 116 upscale, casual dining restaurants.

These stock symbols are known as Personalized Stock Symbols (TM), similar to personalized license plates. The symbol spells out a word, which is not a word in the company name and is not the initials of the company name. However, the word does describe the company's business. (Special thanks to InvestmentTrivia.com )

Last Week to Take Your Losses

This is the last week to take short and long term capital losses on your stocks for the year 2006. The IRS bases the date of the transaction on the trade date, not the settlement date (however, there are special rules for short sales and for professional traders).
Also, kep in mind the special rules for wash sales:
You cannot deduct losses from sales or trades of stock or securities in a wash sale. A wash sale occurs when you sell or trade stock or securities at a loss and within 30 days before or after the sale you:
*Buy substantially identical stock or securities,
*Acquire substantially identical stock or securities in a fully taxable trade, or
*Acquire a contract or option to buy substantially identical stock or securities.
If you sell stock and your spouse or a corporation you control buys substantially identical stock, you also have a wash sale. If your loss was disallowed because of the wash sale rules, add the disallowed loss to the cost of the new stock or securities. The result is your basis in the new stock or securities. This adjustment postpones the loss deduction until the disposition of the new stock or securities. Your holding period for the new stock or securities begins on the same day as the holding period of the stock or securities sold. Special rules apply to options, futures, and warrants.
This article should not be considered tax or accounting advice. As always, talk to your CPA or tax advisor before making any moves.

Single Letter Stock Symbols

If you have been following my blog for a while, you have noticed that I usually include stock market trivia relating to personalized stock symbols, similar to personalized license plates. But what about the single letter stocks symbols? Can you figure out why these companies chose these symbols? The following is a list of stocks with single letter symbols.

A AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES INC.
B BARNES GROUP INC.
C CITIGROUP INC.
D DOMINION RESOURCES
E E N I SPA ADR
F FORD MOTOR CORP.
H REALOGY CORP.
K KELLOGG CORP.
N former symbol for INCO LTD.
O REALTY INCOME CORP.
Q QWEST COMMUNICATIONS INTERNATIONAL INC.
R RYDER SYSTEM INC.
S SPRINT NEXTEL CORP.
T AT&T
X UNITED STATES STEEL
Y ALLEGHANY CORP.

As you can see, G, I, J, L M N, P U, V, W, and Z are currently unassigned.

'Toyota Largest Carmaker 2007'

Toyota Motor (TM on NYSE) has stated that it expects to become the world's largest automobile maker, bigger than General Motors (GM on NYSE) next year, 2007.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6202545.stm

Investment Quotation of the Week

"I never attempt to make money on the stock market. I buy on the assumption that they could close the market the next day and not reopen it for five years."
Warren Buffett (1930- ) businessman and investor

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia = TAP

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia

Question:

What stock has the stock symbol TAP ?

Answer:

Molson Coors Brewing Company, which produces and sells beers including Coors, Carling, Grolsch and Molson.

These stock symbols are known as Personalized Stock Symbols (TM), similar to personalized license plates. The symbol spells out a word, which is not a word in the company name and is not the initials of the company name. However, the word does describe the company's business. (Special thanks to InvestmentTrivia.com )

George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Healthcare REITs have Something in Common

What do George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Cher, Donald Trump, Sylvester Stallone and Dolly Parton all have in common? They all turned 60 this year. Plus they are all members of “the oldest of the baby boomers” club. A baby boomer is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as the generation born between 1946 and 1964. Every day, 7,918 Americans turn 60 years old. The boomers are the largest segment of the U.S. population and their need for healthcare (for themselves and their parents) will increase considerably over the next several years. Because of this trend many investors are now looking at high yielding healthcare real estate investment trusts [REITs]. Several of these REITs generate fairly high dividend yields. The following is a list of ten Health REITs with a yield of over 5%.

Healthcare Realty (HR) 6.9%
Cogdell Spencer (CSA) 6.8%
Health Care REIT (HCN) 6.1%
Universal Health Realty Income Trust (UHT) 6.0%
National Health Investor (NHI) 5.8%
Omega Healthcare Investors (OHI) 5.8%
Senior Housing Properties (SNH) 5.7%
LTC Properties (LTC) 5.5%
National Health Realty (NHR) 5.5%
Nationwide Health Properties (NHP) 5.3%

Oil Stocks Up Next Year according to Feng Shui Investment Advisors

Hong Kong's Feng Shui Investment Advisors are predicting that next year will be a turbulent year for investors, but that oil and construction stocks will be up.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061221/
od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_markets_fengshui

Invest in Autographs: Fox to Auction Actors' Contracts

In January, 20th Century Fox will be auctioning off, through Swann Galleries in New York, over 200 contracts and other documents signed by famous actors including Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, and Marlon Brando. 20th Century Fox is part of Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation (Class A shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange with the symbol NWS-A).

http://today.reuters.com/news/
articlenews.aspx?type=oddlyEnough
News&storyID=2006-12-20T145224Z_01
_N20342486_RTRUKOC_0_US-AUCTION-
HOLLYWOOD1.xml

Using the Altman Z-Score to Check the Financial Quality of your Stocks

Edward Altman invented the Altman Z-Score in the 1960's to determine the statistical probability of a company going bankrupt. The Creditguru.com has a nice interactive Z-score calculator that allows you to type in eight variables to determine the likelihood of failure. According to the site, a score under 1.3 means "Probability of Financial embarrassment is very high." I tried it for Ford Motor Co. (stock symbol F on the NYSE) and came up with a score of .38.

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia = FACE

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia

Question:

What stock has the stock symbol FACE ?

Answer:

Physicians Formula Holdings Inc., which produces and markets cosmetic products including face powders, bronzers, concealers, blushes, foundations, eye shadows, eye liners, and mascaras.

These stock symbols are known as Personalized Stock Symbols (TM), similar to personalized license plates. The symbol spells out a word, which is not a word in the company name and is not the initials of the company name. However, the word does describe the company's business. (Special thanks to InvestmentTrivia.com )

Anheuser-Busch Now Offers Sorghum Beer

Anheuser-Busch (traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BUD) just released their first sorghum beer, called Redbridge, which has no wheat and no gluten.

http://www.anheuser-busch.com/
press_room/redbridge_122006.html

Thai Stock Market Crashes, Recovers

After the Thailand Stock Market crash, with a deline of 15%, due to government restrictions on foreign investments, their market recovered by 10% today from an easing of those restrictions.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6195587.stm

Investment Quotation of the Week

"If a little money does not go out, great money will not come in."
Confucius (551BC - 479BC) philosopher

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia = TUTR

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia

Question:

What stock has the stock symbol TUTR ?

Answer:

PLATO Learning, Inc. a leading provider of computer and web-based
instruction, curriculum planning and support services to schools and colleges.

These stock symbols are known as Personalized Stock Symbols (TM), similar to personalized license plates. The symbol spells out a word, which is not a word in the company name and is not the initials of the company name. However, the word does describe the company's business. (Special thanks to InvestmentTrivia.com )

eBay Closing Down China Website

eBay Inc. (traded on NASDAQ under the symbol EBAY) is planning on closing down thier website in China, and replace it with a China based operated website.

http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/
sanjose/stories/2006/12/18/
daily12.html?surround=lfn

US says 'No' to Braille Currency

The United States government says that creating braille currency wouold be too expensive at this time, and would cause problems with vending machines.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories
/B/BLIND_MONEY?SITE=VAWOO&SECTION=
HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

iPhone Released Yesterday by Cisco, not Apple

In case you didn't hear the news, Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems Inc. (traded on NASDAQ under the symbol CSCO), released its iPhone, which is a phone that connects to a home wireless network for making phone calls through the Internet using the Skype service. Skype is owned by eBay Inc. (traded on NASDAQ under the symbol EBAY). It had been anticipated that Apple Computer Corp. (traded on NASDAQ under the symbol AAPL) would be using the iPhone name, but it had been registered by Cisco in 2000.

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/
stories/2006/12/18/daily19.html?jst=b_ln_hl

Stockerblog author owns AAPL and EBAY.

Canadian Royalty Trusts versus American Royalty Trusts

Investors have been looking at Canadian Royalty Trusts for their high income. These trusts pass through all their earnings from oil and gas wells to the trust holders, similar to the way that real estate investment trusts handle their payouts. Because the entity is set up as a trust instead of a corporation, there is no taxation at the corporate level. In addition, a large part of the dividends are non-taxable due to depletion and depreciation deductions.
Unfortunately, the Canadian government came out with a plan to tax all Canadian trusts at the corporate level beginning in the year 2011. This caused all Canadian trusts to suffer a severe drop during the month of November, which in turn gave the trusts a higher yield. Although they have recovered slightly and therefore have somewhat lower yields, the average trust yield from Canada is still significantly higher than the U.S. royalty trusts.
Below is a list of the Canadian Royalty Trusts that are traded on American stock exchanges (there are many more that are just traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange). Also is a list of American Oil and Gas Trusts, an Iron Ore Royalty Trust, and a European Royalty Trust.

CANADIAN OIL ROYALTY TRUSTS
(traded on U. S. Exchanges)

Advantage Energy Income (AAV) 18.5%
Enterra Energy (ENT) 17.6%
Canetic Resources (CNE) 17.4%
Harvest Energy (HTE) 17.3%
Pengrowth Energy (PGH) 15.0%
Precision Drilling (PDS) 13.3%
PrimeWest Energy Trust (PWI) 12.4%
Penn West Energy Trust (PWE) 11.3%
Provident Energy Trust (PVX) 11.2%
Baytex Energy (BTE) 9.6%
Enerplus Resources Fund (ERF) 9.4%

AMERICAN OIL & GAS ROYALTY TRUSTS

Santa Fe Energy Trust (SFF) 13.20%
LL&E Royalty Trust (LRT) 6.6%
Permian Basin Royalty Trust (PBT) 7.00%
Sabine Royalty Trust (SBR) 5.1%
Marine Petroleum Trust (MARPS) 9.9%
Dominion Resources Black Warrior Trust (DOM) 9.8%
Hugoton Royalty Trust (HGT) 6.2%
Mesa Royalty Trust (MTR) 2.3%
BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust (BPT) 8.8%
Williams Coal Seam Gas Royalty Trust (WTU) 9.5%

AMERICAN IRON ORE ROYALTY TRUST
Mesabi Trust (MSB) 9.00%

GERMANY ROYALTY TRUST
North European Oil Royalty Trust (NRT) 8.2%

Update: MacWorld Expo Apple Stock Price Correlation

Back in February, I posted a blog about the stock trend of Apple Computer stock as the San Francisco MacWorld convention approaches. In four out of the last five years, Apple Computer stock (AAPL on NASDAQ) has increased by at least 8% and as much as 37%, measured from November 15 to the last day of the Expo in January. Why has this happened? There are several factors that most likely contribute to this such as strong year-end sales of Apple products from holiday shopping and anticipation of new products to be released at the Expo. In addition, there is the heavy promotion of the Expo which is indirect promotion of the stock.

The Apple Expos are huge, and amazingly, the convention revolves around this one company. Ever heard of a Dell Expo, or a Hewlett Packard Expo (Hewlett Packard is even an exhibitor at the Apple Expo).

The following table shows the results since 2001:

11/15/2001 ....... 9.73 ..... 1/11/2002 ..... 10.52 ........ 8%
11/15/2002 ....... 7.97 ..... 1/10/2003 ....... 7.36 ...... -8%
11/15/2003 ..... 10.56 ..... 1/9/2004 ...... 11.50 ........ 9%
11/15/2004 ..... 27.62 ..... 1/14/2005 ..... 35.10 ..... 27%
11/15/2005 ..... 62.28 ..... 1/13/2006 ..... 85.59 ..... 37%
11/15/2006 ..... 84.05 ..... 12/15/2006 .... 87.72 ..... 4%
so far

A few notes about this analysis. This just looks at the 'effect' of the MacWorld Expo in San Francisco, not New York or Boston. If a date fell on a weekend, it was moved to the next business day to determine pricing. All prices were adjusted for splits.

The overall average of the returns for the first five years listed above is 14%. We will see by the last day of the Expo on January 12, 2007 if this trend holds up. Keep in mind that past performance is not a guarantee of future results. In the interest of full disclosure, the proprietor of Stockerblog and his family members owns shares in Apple Computer. No recommendation is expressed or implied.

Ohio Corners Market on High Yielding Bank Stocks

Nearly half of the top yielding bank stocks are from Ohio, including Farmers National Banc Corp. (traded under the stock symbol FMNB.OB) which pays 6.1% and First Citizens Banc (traded on NASDAQ with the symbol FCZA) giving a yield of 5.7%. At the top of the list is Beverly Hills Bancorp (BHBC on NASDAQ) yielding 6.11%. It is the holding company for First Bank of Beverly Hills which serves the southern California area.

Although the big advantage to investing in these stocks is the much higher yield than a passbook account, the significant risks should be considered. First, if interest rates rise, the profit margins on their fixed loans will be squeezed. Second, most banks issued a substantial number of ‘risky’ loans (high loan to equity, low credit quality, etc.) over the last few years. In addition, a continued drop in housing prices would lead to more foreclosures. One other important factor to be careful of with regards to many of these bank stocks, is the lack of liquidity. For example, NB&T Financial Group Inc. (NBTF on NASDAQ) hasn’t traded since December 12. And because of the illiquidity, the bid and asked spread can be very wide.

Listed below are the fourteen highest yielding banking companies which trade fairly regularly, along with the symbol, yield, and state that they are based in. Yield is based on the latest annualized quarterly dividend divided by the current share price.
Beverly Hills Bancorp, BHBC, 6.11%, CA
Farmers Natl Banc Corp, FMNB.OB, 6.1%, OH
Community Bank & Trust, CBNH.OB, 5.9%, NH
First Citizens Banc, FCZA, 5.7%, OH
Trustco Bank Copr. of NY, TRST, 5.7%, NY
Community Bancorp, CMTV.OB, 5.2%, VT
F N B Corp, FNB, 5.2%, PA
NB&T Financial Group Inc, NBTF, 5.1%, OH
Union Bankshares Inc, UNB, 5.05%, VT
United Bancorp Inc, UBCP, 5.0%, OH
Ames National Corp, ATLO, 5.0%, IA
First Commonwealth Finan., FCF, 4.97%, PA
Cortland Bancorp, CLDB.OB, 4.8%, OH
FirstMerit Corp, FMER, 4.8%, OH

The Stockerblog proprietor does not own any of these stocks. No recommendation expressed or implied.

Financial History Celebration: Jan. 11, 2007 at Museum of American Finance

The Museum of American Finance is having their Alexander Hamilton Birthday celebration at their new location at 48 Wall Street in New York City. There will be an author symposium, cocktail reception, and silent auction. Behind-the-scene tours of the new museum will also be given. The symposium begins at 5 pm. For more information, call Kristin Aguilera at 212-908-4695 or kaguilera@ financialhistory.org. More details are available at their website: www.financialhistory.org

Red Hat and Under Armour Switch to NYSE

On December 12, Red Hat Inc. (RHT) transferred from NASDAQ to the New York Stock Exchange. Red Hat designs, markets, and supports open source software solutions for enterprise computing. Since the NYSE opening bell on December 12, the stock is up 9.3%.
On Monday, December 18, Under Armour, Inc. (UARM on NASDAQ) will be transferring to the NYSE and will be traded under the stock symbol UA. Undar Armour designs, distributes, and sells athletic, outdoor, and casual apperal and footwear, including T-shirts, shorts, sweats, socks, performance bags, and underwear.

Would You Pay $2,000,000 for $1000?

According to Heritage Auction Galleries, a collector paid $2,255,000 for a rare $1,000 bill called a Grand Watermelon.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/
stories/T/THOUSAND_DOLLAR_BILL?
SITE=MSJAD&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Wall Street Quotation of the Week

"Before you invest, investigate."
William Arthur Ward (1921-1994) author, educator

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia = PILL

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia

Question:

What stock has the stock symbol PILL ?

Answer:

ProxyMed, Inc., an electronic healthcare transaction company.

These stock symbols are known as Personalized Stock Symbols (TM), similar to personalized license plates. The symbol spells out a word, which is not a word in the company name and is not the initials of the company name. However, the word does describe the company's business. (Special thanks to InvestmentTrivia.com )

Nokia, Motorola, Samsung may support Apple Computer's iPhone

Apple Computer (AAPL on NASDAQ) is planning on releasing their much awaited iPhone (a combo cell phone and MP3 player) in the next couple months. It was thought that the major cell phone competitor may fear this release. However, Nokia (NOK on the NYSE), Motorola (MOT on the NYSE), and Samsung may actually support Apple's success.

http://money.cnn.com/2006/12/15/
technology/pluggedin_mehta_iphone.
fortune/index.htm?source=yahoo_quote

Stockerblog owns shares in AAPL. No recommendation expressed or implied.

Wine Company Offers Built-in Drinking Cup with Bottle

The Hardy Wine Company, the largest winery in Australia, is offering a bottle of wine with a drinking cup, made out of plastic, built in as part of the cap. You can see a picture of it at the link below. Hardy is a division of Constellation Brands Inc. (traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol STZ).

http://today.reuters.com/news/
articlenews.aspx?type=oddlyEnough
News&storyID=2006-12-14T214138Z_01
_L1470410_RTRUKOC_0_US-AUSTRALIA-WINE.xml

An "Interactive" Search Engine with a "Live Person"

There is now a search engine which will show a "live" video of a woman who makes comments about what you are searching for. The site is called msdewey.com. Make sure you have sound turned on. After an intro of about 15 seconds, you will see a Search Box under Ms. Dewey. Type in the word "investments", click the Search button and listen to what Ms. Dewey says. Then type in "stock market" in the Search box, and hear her comments. If you want to see something interesting, search for "email".

The Ms. Dewey site was actually created by Microsoft (traded on NASDAQ with the symbol MSFT.)

NASD Doing Podcasts

This is primarily of interest to individuals that work in the securities and investment industry, but the National Association of Securities Industry started doing podcasts in May of this year. They have offered two per month since September. Topics include Life Settlements, Equity Indexed Annuities and Structured Products.

http://www.nasd.com/RulesRegulation/
ComplianceTools/NASDPodcasts/
PodcastIndex/index.htm

Hold On to your Nickels and Pennies

The U. S. Government has passed a law banning the melting of pennies and nickels in order to extract their copper, nickel and zinc content. Currently, the intrinsic value of the metal in the coins is worth more than the coins themselves, causing these coins to turn into an interesting investment. The government has also put a restriction on the export of the coins.

http://www.usmint.gov/pressroom/
index.cfm?action=press_release&ID=724

Wait Before Buying a Mutual Fund

Last month, I posted a list of 10 Year End Tax Strategies. Strategy number 3 said "Don’t buy any mutual funds now." The reason I wrote that is because all mutual funds are required to pay out all their capital gains before the end of the year. The distributed gains would be fully taxable to you even if you only own the fund for a short period of time and even if you reinvest. In addition, the fund drops in value by the amount of the capital gain.
I would like to expand on this with an example. Some might say that everything zeros out if you reinvest. So if you have a fund with a net asset value (NAV) of $10, and it makes a capital gains distribution of $1, the NAV drops to $9 per share, but you reinvest the $1 and you are back to $10.
However, if you figure in the tax consequences, you are much worse off. If you owned 1000 shares of the fund, your capital gains distribution would be $1000, which would be subject to short term (up to 35%) and long term capital gains tax (up to 15%). Assuming you are in a high bracket, and the distribution consists of both short and long term, you could be paying a blended tax of 25% or $250.
You would need to decide if the market risk of waiting is worth the tax consequences.

All of the above suggestions are subject to exceptions and limitations. Don’t act on any of the above until you have discussed it with your CPA or tax advisor. No tax advice or investment advice is expressed or implied.

Fox gets more Web Page Views than Yahoo and Microsoft

According to a comScore Media Metrix report, News Corp. which owns Fox Interactive, had more web page views than Yahoo (traded on NASDAQ under the symbol YHOO) or Microsoft (traded on NASDAQ under the symbol MSFT). This was primarily due to the fact that Fox's ownership of MySpace. The Class A shares of News Corp. are traded on the New York Stock Exchange with the symbol NWS-A.

http://today.reuters.com/news/
articleinvesting.aspx?view=CN&WTmodLOC
=C3-News-2&symbol=MSFT.O&storyID=2006-
12-13T024649Z_01_N12379148_RTRIDST_0_
FOX-YAHOO.XML&type=qcna

The proprietor of Stockerblog owns shares of YHOO and MSFT. No recommendation expressed or implied.

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia = XRAY

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia

Question:

What stock has the stock symbol XRAY ?

Answer:

Dentsply International, Inc., which manufactures and sells products for the dental market.

These stock symbols are known as Personalized Stock Symbols (TM), similar to personalized license plates. The symbol spells out a word, which is not a word in the company name and is not the initials of the company name. However, the word does describe the company's business. (Special thanks to InvestmentTrivia.com )

Ethanol Stocks: On Fire or Going Down in Flames?

As a round-up to my blogs on alternative energy stocks, which included solar energy stocks and wind energy stocks, I have put together a list of the companies involved in the production of ethanol (also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol), which can be used as a stand alone fuel or a fuel additive. With the price of gasoline still relatively high, investors have been looking at ethanol stocks as a beneficiary of those high prices, plus the fact that the Iowa Caucus is coming up. A substantial portion of ethanol production takes place in the Midwest. Here is the list:

Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM) Archer-Daniels-Midland, a component of the S&P 500, is the largest and oldest company on this list, founded in 1898. They have revenues of over $37 billion. They process, sell, and ship many types of agricultural products. Ethanol is a small part of their overall business.

Australian Ethanol Limited (ASTUF.PK) The company plans to produce ethanol plants in Australia.

Aventine Renewable Energy (AVR) This Illinois company, which has been in business for over ten years, produces and sells ethanol and feed products.

BlueFire Ethanol (BFRE.PK) This Irvine, California based company plans to develop and construct 20 cellulosic ethanol plants.

Diversa (DVSA) The reason that this company was included on the list is because the company develops enzymes, which can be used to convert starch into sugar to create ethanol. This is a San Diego, California based company which started in 1992.

Dyadic International (DIL) Dyadic, based in Florida, was founded in 2002. Another enzyme company included on the list. They develop and sell specialty enzymes, a portion of which are used in production of ethanol.

Green Plains Renewable Energy (GPRE) This is a Las Vegas, Nevada and Shenandoah, Iowa based company that was founded in 2004. They plan to develop an ethanol production facility in Iowa.

Gulf Ethanol Corporation (GFET.PK) This company markets and distributes sugarcane-based ethanol. They are based in Houston, Texas.

MGP Ingredients (MGPI) This Kansas based company, founded in 1941, produces various types of alcohol products, alcohol for beverage consumption, industrial alcohol, fuel alcohol, and distillers grain.

Novozymes (NVZMY.PK) This Denmark company, a major producer of enzymes, plans to develop cellulosic ethanol in China. The ADRÂ’s for this company, trades on the Pink Sheets.

Orion Ethanol (OEHL.OB) A Kansas based producer of ethanol.

Pacific Ethanol (PEIX) This company is a newcomer on the scene, founded three years ago in central California. They are currently building ethanol plants, and own an ethanol sales division. They recently came public in 2005.

Panda Ethanol, Inc. (PDAE.OB) This Dallas, Texas company is developing ethanol production facilities in Texas; Kansas; and Colorado.

The Andersons Inc. (ANDE) This company was included on the list because of their involvement in the buying and selling of grain, and the operation of grain storage facilities in the Midwest.

Tiger Ethanol International Inc. (TGEI.OB) The company plans to produce corn-based ethanol in the People's Republic of China.

US BioEnergy Corporation (USBE) USBE is planning to go public this Thursday.

VeraSun Energy (VSE) This company, which is based in South Dakota, produces and sells ethanol and related products. They began in 2001.

I believe the list is complete but if I have missed any ethanol stocks, please let me know through a comment below. None of the above stocks should be considered recommendations. The author holds no positions in any of these stocks at this time.

A Shot for the Real Estate Market: Free Gun with Home Purchase

A real estate agent in Houston, Texas is offering a free Glock pistol to home purchasers.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/life_gun_dc

Invest in Old Records? How about $155,401 for One Album

A Velvet Underground album sold for $155,401 on eBay.

http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/37881758

Skilling Doesn't Have to go to Prison

Jeffrey Skilling, former CEO of the notorious Enron Corporation, a former high flying stock that traded on the New York Stock Exchange and eventually went bankrupt, doesn't have to go to prison while bail is being determined.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?
type=newsOne&storyID=2006-12-12T031710Z
_01_N11256959_RTRUKOC_0_US-ENRON-SKILLING
-APPEAL.xml&WTmodLoc=Home-C2-TopNews-newsOne-5

The Heart Attack Grill Restaurant - The Next McDonald's?

The Heart Attack Grill restaurant, which opened last year, has waitresses wearing skimpy nurse uniforms serve Flatliner Fries and Quadruple Bypass Burgers.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories
/N/NAUGHTY_NURSES?SITE=FLSTU&SECTION
=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Santa Claus is Inundated with Letters

The post office in the little town of North Pole (pop. 1600) in the state of Alaska has been inundated with letters to Santa Claus, up to 12,000 a day.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/
20061209/ap_on_fe_st/santa_s_mail

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia = CELL

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia

Question:

What stock has the stock symbol CELL ?

Answer:

Brightpoint Inc., a distributor of wireless devices and accessories.

These stock symbols are known as Personalized Stock Symbols (TM), similar to personalized license plates. The symbol spells out a word, which is not a word in the company name and is not the initials of the company name. However, the word does describe the company's business. (Special thanks to InvestmentTrivia.com )

DaimlerChrysler Considering 4,000 N. American Job Layoffs

DaimlerChrysler, whose shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DCX, is considering laying off 4,000 employees in North America.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6170959.stm

Jim Cramer Index Continues to Improve

Although Jim Cramer's previous book has dropped slightly in Amazon rankings (which is to be expected due to his new book's release), Jim Cramer's latest book, Jim Cramer's Mad Money: Watch TV, Get Rich by Jim Cramer and Cliff Mason, has substantially moved up in rank on Amazon.com going from number 62 on November 26, jumped up to number 7 on Dec. 7, then easing off to number 17 today (Dec. 10), still a strong increase from presale ranking. It is maintaining its number 1 position for "Business & Investing" and "Business" book categories, same as what it was on Dec. 7, as described in our previous blog. Cramer has also moved up in the Yahoo, Google and YouTube categories.

Fake Hedge Fund Web Site

Ever see a web site of a fake hedge fund? Check out:
http://www.growthventure.com/grdi/
Click on the About Us link on the left, then click on the About Hedge Funds link on the left. Finally, click on the Act Now link on the bottom. It brings you to a letter from the Securities and Exchange Commission about fraudulent hedge funds, and mentioning that the previous pages you have just seen were created by the SEC to give you an example of what a fake hedge fund offering might look like.

Monster Employment Index: Largest Gain in 3 Months

According to the Monster Employment Index, released by Monster Worldwide Inc, traded on NASDAQ under the symbol MNST, their employment index showed the largest gain in three months. This index is based on over 1500 online job sites, not just their own. The gain was primarily due to holiday hiring, with warehouse and transportation rising strongly.

http://www.monsterworldwide.com/
Press_Room/MEI/Nov06/US/MEIUS_Nov06.pdf

Updated List: Solar Energy Stocks

The following is an updated list of the pure plays and semi-pure plays in the solar energy business. Companies which have a very small portion of their business in solar were excluded (e.g. GE, PG&E). The list shows the name of the company, the stock market symbol, what exchange the stock is traded on, and their business.

Akeena Solar, Inc. (AKNS OTC Bulletin Board) Designer, installer, marketer, and seller of solar power systems for residential and small commercial customers.

ARISE Technologies Corporation (APV.V Canadian Venture Exchange ) Exclusive Canadian distributor of the MSK Just Roof(TM) BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaic) system.

Canadian Solar (CSIQ NASDAQ) Involved in the design, development, manufacture, and sale of solar module products

Carmanah Technologies Corporation (CMH.TO Toronto Stock Exchange) Supplier of solar-powered LED lighting, solar power systems & equipment and LED-illuminated signage.

DayStar Technologies (DSTI NASDAQ) Developer, manufacturer, and marketer of Photovoltaic Foil products that convert sunlight directly into electricity.

Deli Solar (USA), Inc. (DLSL OTC Bulletin Board) Designer, manufacturer, and seller of solar hot water heaters, coal-fired boilers, and space heating products.

Energy Conversion Devices. (ENER NASDAQ) Designer, developer, and seller of materials, products, and production processes for the alternative energy generation, energy storage, and information technology markets.

ErSol Solar Energy AG (ERSLF Pink Sheets) Producer of solar cells.

Evergreen Solar (ESLR NASDAQ) Developer, manufacturer, and marketer of solar power products in Germany and the United States.

First Solar (FSLR NASDAQ) Designs and manufactures solar modules through its proprietary thin film semiconductor technology.

Hoku Scientific, Inc. (HOKU NASDAQ) develops polysilicon-based photovoltaic modules for solar power systems. Also develops other clean energy technologies.

ICP Solar Technologies Inc. (ICPR OTCBB) Develops, manufactures and markets of solar cells and products

MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (WFR NYSE) Produces wafers for the semiconductor and solar industries..

SES Solar Inc. (SESI OTCBB) Involved in the production of solar photovoltaic modules and roof tiles from silicon cells.

Solar Night Industries (SLND Pink Sheets) Global manufacturer and distributor of solar products.

Solar Thin Films, Inc. (SLTF Pink Sheets) Develops industrial thin film solar cell manufacturing equipment.

Spire (SPIR NASDAQ) Developer, manufacturer, and marketer of solar equipment, solar systems, biomedical, and optoelectronics.

Sunpower Corporation (SPWR NASDAQ) Developer, manufacturer, and marketer of solar electric power products.

Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (STP NYSE) Designs, develops, manufactures, and markets photovoltaic cells and modules.

Sustainable Energy Tech. (STG.V Canadian Venture Exchange ) Developer, manufacturer, and marketer of advanced power inverters for the renewable energy industry.

TrendSetter Solar Products, Inc. (TSSP Pink Sheets) Manufacturer of solar hot water heating and storage systems in the United States.

WorldWater & Power (WWAT OTC Bulletin Board) Solar engineering and project management company.

Xantrex Technology Inc. (XTX.TO Toronto Stock Exchange) Developer, manufacturer, and marketer of advanced power electronic products and systems for the renewable, portable, mobile, and programmable power markets.

XSunX (XSNX OTC Bulletin Board) Developer of the commercialization and licensing of processes for the manufacture of semitransparent photovoltaic technologies.

No recommendations are expressed or implied with regard to the purchase, sale, holding, or shorting of any of the above stocks.

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia = CAFE

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia

Question:

What stock has the stock symbol CAFE ?

Answer:

Host America Corporation a food service management company.

These stock symbols are known as Personalized Stock Symbols (TM), similar to personalized license plates. The symbol spells out a word, which is not a word in the company name and is not the initials of the company name. However, the word does describe the company's business. (Special thanks to InvestmentTrivia.com )

Agent Orange Investigating Scientist Received Money from Monsanto

According to a news report by the BBC, Professor Sir Richard Doll, who studied the effects of Agent Orange during the 1980's, wrote that there was no evidence that cancer was caused by Agent Orange. However, according to the article, he had been received $1500 per day as a consultancy fee from Monsanto Corporation, the manufacturer of Agent Orange. Monsanto is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MON. The stock is down this morning.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6220440.stm

Are Your Ears Burning? Cell Phone Batteries Recalled

Sanyo (traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange) recalled 1.3 million mobile phone batteries due to concerns about overheating. The stock dropped to its lowest price in 31 years.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6220528.stm

IBM Chips Used to look for "Origins of the Universe"

International Business Machines Corp. (traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol IBM) and a major astronomy organization, ASTRON, are working together to develop computer chips that will be used in antennas for a prototype telescope for the development of the world’s largest radio astronomy telescope, the Square Kilometer Array (SKA). According to the IBM news release, this telescope will look at black holes, developing galaxies, and "origins of the universe more than 13 billion years ago."

http://www.ibm.com/news/us/en/2006/12/2006_12_06.html

Pfizer Releases Chewable Contraceptive

Warner Chilcott, a division of Warner-Lambert Co. which is a division of Pfizer Inc., traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the stock market symbol PFE, has released a chewable contraceptive. The drug is called Femcon Fe.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/
20061208/ap_on_he_me/chewable_contraception_7

Rank Group Sells Hard Rock Cafe Business to Tribe

The Rank Group, traded on the London Stock Exchange under the stock symbol RNK, is selling its Hard Rock Cafe business to the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The business includes two Hard Rock Casino Hotels (but not Las Vegas one which is owned by Morgans Hotel Group, traded on NASDAQ under the symbol MHGC), 124 Hard Rock Cafes, four Hard Rock Hotels, and two Hard Rock Live! concert venues. The price is $965 million.

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/061207/
hard_rock_cafe_seminole_tribe.html?.v=23

Jim Cramer's New Book #1 on Amazon Investing Books

Jim Cramer's latest book, Jim Cramer's Mad Money: Watch TV, Get Rich by Jim Cramer and Cliff Mason, is now number one on Amazon.com for "Investing" books and "Business and Investing" books. It's currently number seven for all books. You heard it here first.

Salvation Army Receives Gold Coin Donation

The Salvation Army received a $2.50 Indian head gold piece coin in their collection bucket, which could be worth as much as $14,000.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/
2006-12-07-salvation-army-gold_x.htm

Ripley's Believe It or Not bought Cook County Gallows

The Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum was the highest bidder for the notorious Cook County, Illinois Gallows, paying $68,300. Ripley Entertainment, Inc, the owner of the museums, is a subsidiary of Jim Pattison Group, one of the largest privately held companies in Canada. Ripley also licenses its name for the Ripley's Believe It or Not! TV show which is produced by Sony (ADR's traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SNE).


http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat
/2006-12-07-gallows-ripley_x.htm

$138 Fine for Malaysian Women Wearing SexyClothing

Although this has nothing to do with the stock market or investing, I though you would be interested in hearing about this news. The city of Kota Baru in Malaysia has implemented a $138 fine for saleswomen and waitresses who wear clothes that are too tight or too revealing.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061207/
ap_on_fe_st/malaysia_revealing_attire

China's Largest Phone Company targets Africa

China's largest phone company, ZTE, plans a major expansion in Africa and India.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6212856.stm

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia = ROCK

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia

Question:

What stock has the stock symbol ROCK ?

Answer:

Gibraltar Industries, Inc. a manufacturer, processor and distributor of residential and commercial building products and processed metal products.

These stock symbols are known as Personalized Stock Symbols (TM), similar to personalized license plates. The symbol spells out a word, which is not a word in the company name and is not the initials of the company name. However, the word does describe the company's business. (Special thanks to InvestmentTrivia.com )

Highest Yielding Utility Stocks: Gas Utilities

Last week, I posted a list of the Highest Yielding Utility Stocks: Electric Utilities. Today I'm listing the Highest Yielding Gas Utilities Stocks. Yields are based on the projected annual dividend payments using the last quarterly payment, and dividing by the price per share at the time I put this list together.

Peoples Energy PGL 4.93%
Delta Natural Gas DGAS 4.82%
RGC Resources RGCO 4.79%
Keyspan KSE 4.54%
Energy West EWST 4.29%

No recommendations are expressed or implied.

Hong Kong Decides Against a New Sales Tax

Hong Kong, which is one of the lowest tax territories in the world, has decided against implementing a new sales tax, due to the fear of hurting tourism and the lower income citizens.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6209162.stm

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia = FUEL

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia

Question:

What stock has the stock symbol FUEL ?

Answer:

Streicher Mobile, provider of petroleum product distribution services, transportation logistics, and emergency response services to the trucking, construction, utility, energy, and other industries.

These stock symbols are known as Personalized Stock Symbols (TM), similar to personalized license plates. The symbol spells out a word, which is not a word in the company name and is not the initials of the company name. However, the word does describe the company's business. (Special thanks to InvestmentTrivia.com )

Wind Energy Stocks - Are there any?

Since I posted the list of solar energy stocks a few days ago, I have come up with a list of wind energy stocks per requests from readers. The following are a list of the pure plays and semi-pure plays in the wind energy field. Companies which have a very small portion of their business in wind were excluded (e.g. GE, FPL, TXU). The list shows the name of the company, the stock market symbol, what exchange the stock is traded on, and their business. Some of these stocks are very speculative and none are recommendations.

Americas Wind Energy Corporation (AWNE Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board) manufacturing and marketing of medium sized (500 - 1,000 megawatt (MW)) wind turbines for the North American market.

Babcock & Brown Wind Partners (BBWPF Pink Sheets) An Australian based specialized investment fund focused on the wind energy generation sector

Gamesa Corp. (GCTAF Pink Sheets) 18% of the world's share of the wind turbine market. Based in Spain.

Kore Holdings (KORH Pink Sheets) A power provider and marketer of alternative energy from wind farms, hydro and distributed power facilities.

McKenzie Bay International Ltd. (MKBY OTCBB) Develops wind powered alternative energy systems.

Mass Megawatts Wind Power Inc. (MMGW OTCBB) Develops prototype wind energy production equipment.

NaiKun Wind Energy Group Inc. (NKW.V TSX Venture Exchange) Wind energy developer in the Haida Energy Field off the coast of British Columbia since 2001.

Scottish Power plc (SPI NYSE) A leading developer and operator of renewable energy in both the UK and the US. It is one of the largest providers of wind energy in the US.

Shear Wind Inc. (SWX.V Canadian Venture Exchange )Provider of wind-generated energy in Atlantic Canada.

Sea Breeze Power Corp. (SBX.V Canadian Venture Exchange ) Developer of large-scale windfarms and underwater electricity transmission lines in British Columbia.

Tower Tech Holdings Inc. (TWRT OTCBB) Involved in the engineering, manufacture, and sale of wind turbine extension towers and monopiles to the wind energy industry

Vector Wind Energy Inc. (VWE.V Canadian Venture Exchange ) developer of wind energy projects in Canada.

Vestas Wind Systems (VWSYF Pink Sheets) 34% of the world's share of the wind turbine market. Based in Denmark.

U.S. Wind Farming (USWF Pink Sheets) The federal court in Chicago entered a Final Judgment as to U.S. Wind Farming on October 20, 2006.

Western Wind Energy (WNDEF Pinik Sheets) Produces clean renewable electrical energy from over 500 wind turbine generators located in Tehachapi and San Gorgonio Pass (Palm Springs), California.

No recommendations are expressed or implied with regard to the purchase, sale, holding, or shorting of any of the above stocks.

Salary.com Going Public with $50 Million IPO

Salary.com, which provides compensation information to companies and individuals, is planning a $50 million stock offering, with the NASDAQ stock market symbol SLRY. Kevin Kelleher wrote a great article about Salary.com for TheStreet.com web site. Check it out at:
http://www.thestreet.com/_htmlbtb/
newsanalysis/techstockupdate/10325562.html

Also, if you've never seen the Salary.com web site, you should take a look at it. It gives salary ranges based on the job title and zip code, a part of their FREE service. They charge for a more comprehensive analysis.

100 Stocks That Pay Their Dividends Monthly

Back by popular demand, I have updated the list of stocks that pay dividends monthly. Many stock market investors are looking for high dividend stocks that provide them with a monthly retirement income. Other investors are looking for monthly dividend stocks for their retirement plans so that their money compounds faster. This list contains closed end bond funds, Canadian royalty trusts, timber income trusts, real estate investment trusts, oil income trusts, and other income trusts. What is most unusual about this list is that after doing all the research to find all the monthly dividend stocks, the list came out to exactly 100 stocks. The list shows the name of the stock, the stock market symbol, and the yield.

For a list of all the monthly dividend stocks in an Excel format which you can download, sort, add to, delete from, and change, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Aberdeen Asia-Pacific Income Fund Inc. (FAX) 6.6%
Advantage Energy Income Fund (AAV) 15%
AEW Real Estate Income Fund (RIF) 6.1%
AIM Select Real Estate Income Fund (RRE) 6.5%
AmREIT (AMY) 6.1%
Baytex Energy (BTE) 11.2%
BlackRock California Insured Municipal Income Trust (BCK) 4.7%
BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust II (BCL) 5.1%
BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust (BFZ) 5.4%
BlackRock Florida Insured Municipal Income Trust (BAF)
BlackRock Florida Municipal Income Trust (BBF) 5.4%
BlackRock Global Floating Rate Income Trust (BGT) 7.9%
BlackRock Income Opportunity Trust, Inc. (BNA) 6.2%
BlackRock Income Trust, Inc. (BKT) 6.1%
BlackRock Insured Municipal Income Trust (BYM) 4.9%
BlackRock Municipal Income Trust (BFK) 5.8%
BlackRock Municipal Income Trust II (BLE) 5.7%
BlackRock New Jersey Municipal Income Trust (BNJ) 5.2%
BlackRock New York Insured Municipal Income Trust (BSE) 4.7%
BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust (BNY) 5.3%
BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust II (BFY) 4.8%
BlackRock Limited Duration Income Trust (BLW) 7.8%
Canetic Resources (CNE) 19%
Colonial High Income Municipal Trust (CXE) 5.4%
Colonial Intermarket Income Trust 1 (CMK) 6.4%
Colonial Municipal Income Trust (CMU) 5.5%
Cross Timbers Royalty Trust (CRT) 13.4%
Eaton Vance California Municipal Income Trust (CEV) 4.5%
Eaton Vance Floating-Rate Income Trust (EFT) 9.0%
Eaton Vance Florida Municipal Income Trust (FEV) 4.7%
Eaton Vance Massachusetts Municipal Income Trust (MMV) 4.3%
Eaton Vance Michigan Municipal Income Trust (EMI) 4.7%
Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust (EVN) 5.0%
Eaton Vance New Jersey Municipal Income Trust (EVJ) 4.5%
Eaton Vance New York Municipal Income Trust (EVY) 4.7%
Eaton Vance Ohio Municipal Income Trust (EVO) 4.7%
Eaton Vance Pennsylvania Municipal Income Trust (EVP) 4.8%
Eaton Vance Senior Income Trust (EVF) 8.0%
Enterra Energy Trust (ENT) 16.6%
Enerplus Resources Fund (ERF) 10.0%
Franklin Templeton Ltd. Duration Income Trust (FTF) 7.5%
Gabelli Dividend & Income Trust (GDV) 6.0%
Gabelli Gold,Natural Resources & Income Trust (GGN) 7.0%
Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust (GLU) 5.8%
Harvest Energy Trust (HTE) 17.1%
Hugoton Royalty Trust (HGT) 5.8%
ING Clarion Global Real Estate Income Fund (IGR) 6.0%
ING Clarion Real Estate Income Fund (IIA) 7.0%
Inland Real Estate Corp. (IRC) 5.0%
Lehman Brothers First Trust Income Opportunity Fund (LBC) 8.8%
Mesa Royalty Trust (MTR) 2.3%
MFS Charter Income Trust (MCR) 5.5%
MFS Government Markets Income Trust (MGF) 5.3%
MFS Intermediate Income Trust (MIN) 5.2%
MFS Multimarket Income Trust (MMT) 5.9%
MFS Municipal Income Trust (MFM) 5.5%
Morgan Stanley California Insured Municipal Income Trust (IIC) 5.1%
Morgan Stanley Government Income Trust (GVT) 4.4%
Morgan Stanley Insured Municipal Income Trust (IIM) 5.8%
Morgan Stanley Municipal Income Opportunities Trust II (OIB) 5.5%
Morgan Stanley Municipal Income Opportunities Trust III (OIC) 5.4%
Morgan Stanley Municipal Income Opportunities Trust (OIA) 5.7%
Morgan Stanley Municipal Premium Income Trust (PIA) 6.9%
Morgan Stanley Quality Municipal Income Trust (IQI) 6.7%
Neuberger Berman Real Estate Income Fund Inc. (NRL) 4.7%
Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund (NRO) 6.4%
Nuveen Real Estate Income Fund (JRS) 7.4%
Pengrowth Energy Trust (PGH) 13.3%
Penn West Energy Trust (PWE)10.2%
Permian Basin Royalty Trust (PBT) 6.8%
Pioneer High Income Trust (PHT) 8.8%
Pioneer Municipal High Income Advantage Trust (MAV) 5.4%
Pioneer Muncipal High Income Trust (MHI) 5.2%
Precision Drilling (PDS) 14.8%
PrimeWest Energy Trust (PWI) 12.0%
Provident Energy Trust (PVX) 11.5%
Putnam Managed Municipal Income Trust (PMM) 5.3%
Putnam Master Intermediate Income Trust (PIM) 5.6%
Putnam Premier Income Trust (PPT) 5.6%
RMR Hospitality and Real Estate Fund (RHR) 6.3%
RMR Real Estate Fund (RMR) 6.8%
Real Estate Income Fund Inc. (RIT) 5.7%
Realty Income Corp. (O) 5.5%
Sabine Royalty Trust (SBR) 10.2%
San Juan Basin Royalty Trust (SJT) 6.5%
Scudder High Income Trust (KHI) 8.6%
Scudder Multi-Market Income Trust (KMM) 7.1%
Scudder Municipal Income Trust (KTF) 4.4%
Scudder Strategic Income Trust (KST) 7.0%
Scudder Strategic Municipal Income Trust (KSM) 5.4%
Scudder RREEF Real Estate Fund II, Inc. (SRO) 6.2%
Scudder RREEF Real Estate Fund Inc. (SRQ) 6.0%
Strategic Global Income Fund Inc. (SGL) 7.9%
United Dominion 8.5 (UDM) 8.0%
Van Kampen Advantage Municipal Income Trust II (VKI) 5.0%
Van Kampen California Value Municipal Income Trust (VCV) 5.0%
Van Kampen High Income Trust II (VLT) 8.3%
Van Kampen Income Trust (VIN) 6.4%
Van Kampen Massachusetts Value Municipal Income Trust (VMV) 4.7%
Van Kampen Senior Income Trust (VVR) 8.8%

No recommendations are expressed or implied with regard to the purchase, sale, holding, or shorting of any of the above stocks. In the interest of full disclosure, the proprietor of Stockerblog owns four of the above stocks. Copyright 2006 Stockerblog, All rights reserved.

Wall Street Quotation of the Week

"I made my money by selling too soon. "
Bernard Baruch (1870-1965) financier & economist

Solar Energy Stocks

Because of the Democratic majority of both the House and Senate as a result of the last election, there is some belief among stock market analysts that solar energy companies should do well. The following are a list of the pure plays and semi-pure plays in the solar energy fields. Companies which have a very small portion of their business in solar were excluded (e.g. GE, PG&E). The list shows the name of the company, the stock market symbol, what exchange the stock is traded on, and their business.

Akeena Solar, Inc. (AKNS OTC Bulletin Board) Designer, installer, marketer, and seller of solar power systems for residential and small commercial customers.

ARISE Technologies Corporation (APV.V Canadian Venture Exchange ) Exclusive Canadian distributor of the MSK Just Roof(TM) BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaic) system.

Carmanah Technologies Corporation (CMH.TO Toronto Stock Exchange) Supplier of solar-powered LED lighting, solar power systems & equipment and LED-illuminated signage.

DayStar Technologies (DSTI NASDAQ) Developer, manufacturer, and marketer of Photovoltaic Foil products that convert sunlight directly into electricity.

Deli Solar (USA), Inc. (DLSL OTC Bulletin Board) Designer, manufacturer, and seller of solar hot water heaters, coal-fired boilers, and space heating products.

Energy Conversion Devices. (ENER NASDAQ) Designer, developer, and seller of materials, products, and production processes for the alternative energy generation, energy storage, and information technology markets.

Evergreen Solar (ESLR NASDAQ) Developer, manufacturer, and marketer of solar power products in Germany and the United States.

Spire (SPIR NASDAQ) Developer, manufacturer, and marketer of solar equipment, solar systems, biomedical, and optoelectronics.

Sunpower Corporation (SPWR NASDAQ) Developer, manufacturer, and marketer of solar electric power products.

Sustainable Energy Tech. (STG.V Canadian Venture Exchange ) Developer, manufacturer, and marketer of advanced power inverters for the renewable energy industry.

WorldWater & Power (WWAT OTC Bulletin Board) Solar engineering and project management company.

Xantrex Technology Inc. (XTX.TO Toronto Stock Exchange) Developer, manufacturer, and marketer of advanced power electronic products and systems for the renewable, portable, mobile, and programmable power markets.

XSunX (XSNX OTC Bulletin Board) Developer of the commercialization and licensing of processes for the manufacture of semitransparent photovoltaic technologies.

This list has been updated with a later list.

No recommendations are expressed or implied with regard to the purchase, sale, holding, or shorting of any of the above stocks.

Free Interactive Retailer Stocks Chart from Wall Street Journal

This interactive chart, which shows the sales for the major retailers, is available from the Wall Street Journal website. You click on the boxes next to each stock you want to see the line chart for. Included stocks are:
Abercrombie & Fitch
American Eagle Outfitters
Aeropostale
Federated
Nordstrom
J. C. Penney
Gap
Ann Taylor
Limited
Wal-Mart
Target
Costco

http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/
documents/info-flash06.html?project=retail06-
061130&h=420&w=780&hasAd=1&settings=retail06'
,'retail06','780','597','off','true',20,30

YouTube Investor Buys Andre Agassi's House for $20,000,000

Stuart Peterson, president of the San Francisco hedge fund Artis Capital Management that was one of the investors in YouTube, paid $20,000,000 for the Tiburon, Marin County, California house of Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, who originally paid about $23 million for the house in 2001.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/11/29/AGASSI.TMP

Santa Beer Banned by the State of Maine

Santa's Butt Beer, distributed by Shelton Brothers, has been banned by the state of Maine for its inappropriate label.

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/
ho-ho-no-state-bans-santa-beer/
20061202045909990002?ncid=
NWS00010000000001

Your Business: Talk About Invasion of Privacy

You probably receive Notices of Privacy from all the banks, stock brokers and investment firms your do business with. They are also send to companies that have business accounts. Have you ever bothered to read them? This is a quote from the Union Bank of California brochure for business accounts:

"To aid the Bank in complying with the Bank Secrecy Act and related laws and regulations, we may ask you for specific information regarding the nature of anticipated account activity, the sources of your funds, the purposes of transactions, the relationship you have with the persons to whom you send funds to and the persons who send funds to you, the anticipated frequency of such transactions, the ultimate beneficiaries of funds you send and receive, and other questions that may help to clarify the nature and purposes of transactions."

Gee, with all that info, they could be my company accountants. Hell, they might as well run my business for me.

Above is quoted under the Fair Use provision of the Copyright Act.

Top Five Real Estate Foreclosure Investment Books

The Pre-Foreclosure Property Investor's Kit: How to Make Money Buying Distressed Real Estate -- Before the Public Auction
by Thomas Lucier
-----
The Pre-Foreclosure Real Estate Handbook: Insider Secrets to Locating and Purchasing Pre-Foreclosed Properties in Any Market
by Frankie Orlando
-----
The Complete Guide to Investing in Foreclosures
by Steve Berges
-----
Buying Real Estate Foreclosures
by Melissa S. Kollen-Rice
-----
How To Buy Foreclosed Real Estate
by Theodore J. Dallow

Saudi Arabia Makes Compensation Demands from Tobacco Companies

Saudi Arabia is demanding that tobacco companies pay for all medical costs of patients with smoking illnesses.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6194972.stm

Wall Street History Five Years Ago Today: Enron Filed for Bankruptcy

This day in Wall Street, five years ago today (December 2, 2001), Enron Corporation declared bankruptcy, one of the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history.

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia = FUND

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia

Question:

What stock has the stock symbol FUND ?

Answer:

Royce Focus Trust, Inc. a diversified, closed-end investment company.

These stock symbols are known as Personalized Stock Symbols (TM), similar to personalized license plates. The symbol spells out a word, which is not a word in the company name and is not the initials of the company name. However, the word does describe the company's business. (Special thanks to InvestmentTrivia.com )

Highest Yielding Utility Stocks: Electric Utilities

Top Ten Highest Yielding Electric Utility Stocks:

Empire District Electric (EDE) 5.30%
Great Plains Energy (GXP) 5.20%
Progress Energy (PGN) 5.10%
DuQuesne Light (DQE) 5.00%
Hawaiian Electric (HE) 4.60%
Teco Energy (TE) 4.50%
DTE Energy (DTE) 4.40%
Central Vermont Public Service (CV) 4.30%
Southern Co. (SO) 4.30%
Pinnacle West (PNW) 4.30%

No recommendations expressed or implied.

Stock Dividends Declared Recently

Company's that have declared stock dividends recently (as opposed to cash dividends) include:
Podium Venture Group Inc. PDVP.PK
Express Systems Corporation EXPY.OB
Firstbank Corporation FBMI
Hilltop Community Bancorp, Inc. HTBC.OB
Hybrid Technologies, Inc. HYBT.OB
Canyon Bancorp CYBA.OB
Hudson Valley Holding Corp. HUVL.OB
Dearborn Bancorp Inc. DEAR
James Monroe Capital Corporation JMCP.PK

It is interesting to note that about half of them are bank stocks.

No recommendations expressed or implied.

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia = KOOL

Stock Market Stock Symbol Trivia

Question:

What stock has the stock symbol KOOL ?

Answer:

THERMOGENESIS Corp. which develops and manufactures automated blood processing systems that enable the manufacture, preservation and delivery of personalized cell therapy and surgical wound care products.

These stock symbols are known as Personalized Stock Symbols (TM), similar to personalized license plates. The symbol spells out a word, which is not a word in the company name and is not the initials of the company name. However, the word does describe the company's business. (Special thanks to InvestmentTrivia.com )

Possible Attack on U.S. Bank and Stock Market Servers

According to the Department of Homeland Security, a website supposedly called for an attack on U.S. bank web sites and stock market web sites, sometime in December.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/
article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/11/30/
financial/f171742S22.DTL&feed=rss.news

Jim Cramer Ending Radio Show

Jim Cramer, founder of TheStreet.com (traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TSCM) is ending his radio show to re-focus on multimedia for TheStreet's website.

http://yahoo.reuters.com/news/
articlehybrid.aspx?storyID=urn:newsml:
reuters.com:20061129:MTFH44521_2006-11-29
_18-42-58_N29376554&type=comktNews&rpc=44

The proprietor of Stockerblog owns DIS and Euro Disney. No recommendation is expressed or implied.

Euro Disney Takeover Offer

An obscure Swiss company, Center-Tainment, has made an unfriendly takeover offer for Euro Disney (traded on the Paris Stock Exchange under the symbol EDLP.PA), which is based in France and is partially owned by Walt Disney Company (traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DIS). Center-Tainment (G6P.F) is traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/061130/
france_euro_disney.html?.v=1

The proprietor of Stockerblog owns DIS and Euro Disney. No recommendation is expressed or implied.

More Holiday Gifts: New Investment Books December Release

Jim Cramer's Mad Money: Watch TV, Get Rich
by James J. Cramer, Cliff Mason
Publication Date: December 5, 2006
-----
The Only Three Questions That Count: Investing by Knowing What Others Don't
by Ken Fisher, Jennifer Chou, Lara Hoffmans, James J. Cramer (Foreword)
Publication Date: December 11, 2006
-----
Asymmetric Returns: The Future of Active Asset Management (Wiley Finance)
by Alexander M. Ineichen
Publication Date: December 11, 2006
-----
Standard & Poor's 500 Guide, 2007 Edition (Standard and Poor's 500 Guide)
by Standard & Poor's
Publication Date: December 20, 2006
-----
Flip
by Villani, Davis
Publication Date: December 1, 2006
-----
Fundamentals of Estate Planning (Huebner School Hardcover Book Series)
by Constance J. Fontaine
Publication Date: December 30, 2006
-----
The Complete Guide to Option Pricing Formulas
by Espen Gaarder Haug
Publication Date: December 20, 2006
-----
Guide to Economic Indicators: Making Sense of Economics - Sixth Edition
by Bloomberg Press (Creator)
Publication Date: December 1, 2006
-----
The 25% Cash Machine: Double Digit Income Investing
by Bryan Perry
Publication Date: January 9, 2007
-----
Commodities For Dummies
by Amine Bouchentouf
Publication Date: December 6, 2006

iPod Sales to North Korea to be Banned

The U. S. government wants to ban the sale of iPods (along with other luxury items) to North Korea. iPods are manufactured by Apple Computer, traded on NASDAQ under the symbol AAPL.

http://articles.news.aol.com/
news/_a/us-aims-to-ban-ipod-sales
-to-north/20061129063209990002

The proprietor of Stockerblog owns shares of AAPL. No recommendation is expressed or implied.

Sales of New Homes Down for October

According to the HUD report that was just released, sales of new single family homes for October were down 3.2% from September and down 25.4% from October of last year.

http://www.census.gov/const/newressales.pdf

10 Year-End Tax Strategies and Reminders for Investors

10 Year-End Tax Strategies and Reminders

1. Fund your IRA, Roth IRA, or other retirement plans now. Don’t keep earning taxable interest and dividends on that money until April 15; get it in a tax deferred account.

2. Farm for capital losses. In other words, look for stocks that you currently own that are trading at less than what you paid for them. If you have some, seriously consider selling them, and beware of the Wash Sale Rule (see my previous blog about this).

3. Don’t buy any mutual funds now. All funds are required to pay out all capital gains in December, which would be fully taxable to you even if you only own the fund for a couple days. In addition, the fund drops in value by the amount of the capital gain.

4. Get your donations in to your favorite charity, your college, and any other deductible religious or charitable organizations before year end. Don’t forget to donate old clothes, furniture, and other household items, Donate old unwanted books to your local library. Get receipts!

5. Check your one-year holdings. If you have stocks that you have a gain on and are thinking of selling, check to see if you’ve held them for a year or more. If you are a few days away from a year, it may be worth taking the market risk of holding on to the stock for a few more days before selling.

6. Take advantage of your Medical Reimbursement Plan. If you have one, you need to use up all the money you’ve allocated to it during the year. If you don’t use it, you lose it. Determine if you need a new pair of glasses, a new crown, or how about just a year end physical.

7. Pre-pay state and local income taxes. If you make quarterly tax payments to the state, make sure you pay yours by December 31. Don’t wait until January 15. Pay ALL anticipated state income tax by December 31.

8. Donate appreciated stock to charity. You avoid capital gains tax, you preserve your cash, and you receive a tax deduction.

9. When selling a portion of shares of a particular stock, look at the tax consequences. If you have invested in a stock or mutual fund over the years, you will have varying cost bases. Sell the portion with the highest basis to generate the smallest tax impact for the year. (This assumes that your brokerage firm or mutual fund allows you to choose and identify which shares to sell.)

10. If you have stock that became worthless this year, search for and save any information that you can relating to the stock so that you can justify a capital loss for the year. For example, if a stock had been trading for a penny per share, then no trades occurred after June 15, a case could be made that the stock became worthless on that day. Some brokerage firms (e.g. TDAmeritrade) will buy worthless or almost worthless stock from your account so that you can generate the loss. They usually don’t charge more than the total amount of the stock for the commission, and if the stock is completely worthless, they charge a dollar commission.

As always, all of the above suggestions are subject to exceptions and limitations. Don’t act on any of the above until you have discussed it with your CPA or tax advisor. No tax advice is expressed or implied.