$200,000 Dollar Bill

The country of Zimbabwe has come out with a $200,000 Dollar Bill denominated in the highly inflated Zimbabwe dollars. The banknote is worth $13 in U.S. dollars, but can be bought for a dollar on the black market. The inflation rate is around 5,000% in Zimbabwe.

Paris Hilton's House: Buying Celebrity Real Estate?

If you like collecting homes that have been owned by the rich and famous, or maybe you just want to live in one, now is your chance. Paris Hilton's Hollywood 'mansion' is for sale. The 3,000 square foot 4 bedroom 4.5 bath house can be picked up for a measly $4.25 million.

NYC Bond Ratings Rise

New York City’s general obligation bond rating was increased to Aa3 by Moody’s Investor’s Service. Moody’s pointed out NYC's 'robust revenue performance.' Check out the article at FMSbonds.

Happy Birthday Milton Friedman

Today, July 31, would have been Milton Friedman's 95th birthday. Milton Friedman was one of the greatest economists who ever lived. He passed away in November of 2006. Check out the write-up on Friedman at New Wealth.

Hockey Stocks in Summer?

What better time to think about hockey than during the hot days of summer. There are several companies that are connected to hockey teams and equipment, but unfortunately no pure plays. For most of these companies, hockey is a small part of their business.

Some interesting facts about hockey:
1. It is considered the four major sports in North America.
2. There are four times as many Canadians as there are Americans in the National Hockey League.
3. 30% of NHL players are from outside North America.
4. It’s the most watched major sport in Canada.
5. It’s the least watched major sport in the U.S..
6. The first reference to 'hockie stickes' was in 1527.
7. The first known occurrence of hockey on ice was in Holland in the 1600’s.
8. The first organized indoor game was played at Montreal's Victoria Skating Rink in 1875.
9. The first ice hockey world championship was at Montreal's annual Winter Carnival in 1883.

Here are some hockey stocks that might be worth taking a swing at:

The Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League and the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League are owned by a company called Comcast-Spectacor, of which 63% is owned by Comcast (CMCSA). They also own the Wachovia Center and the Wachovia Spectrum sports arena where hockey is played. Comcast has a price earnings ratio of 28.34 and a price earnings to growth ratio of 1.89.

The Toronto Maple Leafs, one of the ‘Original Six’ members of the NHL, is owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd., 14 percent of which is owned by Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD). Maple Leaf Sports also owns the Air Canada Centre sports arena, where hockey is played. Toronto-Dominion has a P/E of 14.87, a PEG of 1.14, and a yield of 3%. Latest quarterly earnings were up 19.1%.

The New York Rangers are owned by the Madison Square Garden Limited Partnership, which is owned by Cablevision (CVC). They also own the Madison Square Garden sports and entertainment arena and the Hartford Wolf Pack, a minor-league professional hockey team. Cablevision has a forward P/E of 45.9 and a PEG of 32.4.

The Hockey Company, also known as CCM, is the ice hockey equipment licensee and supplier to the NHL until the year 2014. CCM is owned by Reebok which is owned by Adidas AG (ADDYY.PK), the German based sportswear and sporting goods company. Adidas has an operating margin of 8.12% and a return of average equity of 17.83%.

Bauer is the leading manufacturer of hockey equipment and skates, It is owned by Canstar which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nike, Inc. (NKE), and now uses the Nike Bauer brand. Nike has a P/E of 19.43 and a PEG of 1.26. The stock has a yield of 1.3%.

Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. (DKS) sells hockey equipment along with numerous types of other sporting goods, so hockey is obviously a very small part of their business. Dick’s has a P/E of 25.44 and a PEG of 1.18.

Sport Chalet Inc. (SPCHB) also sells hockey equipment along with other types of sporting goods including snowboarding, mountaineering, and SCUBA equipment. The company has a P/E of 21.8 and a price sales ratio of 0.39.

Author does not own any of the above.

Have You Seen the Topsy-Turvy Bus?

Have you seen the Topsy-Turvy bus that was commissioned by Ben Cohen of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, which is owned by Unilever (UN), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange.

NYC Making Sense out of Cents

New York City is selling off a lot of the foreign coins that were put in their parking meters. The highest bidder will receive about 500 poinds of the coins.

Top Box Office Stocks

There are many new movie releases this summer, taking advantage of the numerous number of students looking for something to do until school starts, and the couples and families that want to avoid using the air conditioning in their homes and take advantage of the free cool air in the movie theaters.

Last weekend, the top box offices grosser was I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, and Jessica Biel. It was just released last weekend and grossed $34.2 million, making it the number one movie for weekend gross. It is distributed by Universal Pictures, which is owned by NBC Universal, which is jointly owned by General Electric (GE) with 80% and Vivendi SA (VIVEF.PK) with 20%.

GE has a price earnings ratio of 18.7, a price earnings to growth ratio of 1.66, and a yield of 2.8%. Quarterly earnings growth was up 9.6% year over year, on a revenue increase of 4.2%.

Next highest last weekend was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, which grossed $32.5 million for the weekend and $207.8 million total gross so far. It is the fifth movie in the Harry Potter film series, based on the novel of the same name, by J. K. Rowling. It is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., which is a division of Time Warner Inc. (TWX).

Time Warner has a P/E of 12.5, a PEG of 1.49, and a yield of 1.1%. Earnings for the latest quarter were down 17.8% on a revenue increase of 9.2%.

Third on the list is Hairspray, starring John Travolta, Queen Latifah, Amanda Bynes, grossed $27.4 million last weekend, its premier weekend. Hairspray is distributed New Line Cinema, which is also owned by Time Warner.

Fourth is Transformers, produced by Steven Spielberg, which grossed $20.5 million last year. It is distributed by Paramount Pictures, which is owned by Viacom, Inc. (VIA-B), which has a P/E of 17.9 and a PEG of 1.23.

Fifth on the list of box office gross for last weekend is Ratatouille, the cartoon about the rat who wants to become a French chef distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, a division of Walt Disney Co. (DIS). It grossed $10.9 million last weekend. The stock has a P/E of 15.9, a PEG of 1.38, and a yield of 0.9%.

Number six is Live Free or Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis, Timothy Olyphant, and Maggie Q, which grossed $7.1 million last weekend. It is distributed by 20th Century Fox, which is a subsidiary of News Corporation (NWS-A). News Corp. has a P/E of 19.8, a PEG of 1.25, and a yield of 0.6%.

Seventh was License to Wed, a Warner Bros. Picture, grossing $3.5 million.

Number eight is 1408, starring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson, which grossed $2.6 million, and is distributed by MGM Distribution Company, which is owned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc., also known as MGM. MGM is owned by Sony (SNE) and Comcast (CMCSA), along with several other partners.

Evan Almighty and Knocked Up were nine and ten, and both are distributed by Universal Pictures.

Author owns TWX and DIS.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com.

Tonga Joins World Trade Organization

The small island nation of Tonga has joined the World Trade Organization as the 151st member. Tonga is one of the smallest countries in the world in terms of economies. Unfortunately, I haven't found any publicly traded Tongan stocks.

Monk has a Wall Street Angle

The Monk TV show, starring Tony Shalhoub, which airs on the USA Network, which is owned by NBC Universal, which is jointly owned by General Electric (GE) with 80% and Vivendi SA (VIVEF.PK) with 20%, had a new show on last night [Mr. Monk and theNakedMan] with a stock market angle. I'm not going to tell you any more about it, in case you didn't see it and you plan on watching the rerun.

What is interesting to note is that Vivendi closed UP over 1.5% on Friday, on a very DOWN stock market, when the Dow, the S&P 500, and the NASDAQ were all DOWN around one and a half percent.

$2 million for Eyeglass Frame

Yes, that's right, $2 million for eyeglasses without the frames. Of course, they happen to belong to john Lennon, and are being auctioned off by 911.com Auctions. The frames were given to Lennon's Japanese translator at the end of the Beatles' concert in Tokyo. Auctioneers hope it will receive bids reaching $2 million.

Sarbanes-Oxley: Happy Birthday!

Monday is the Sarbanes-Oxley fifth birthday. If you haven't yet checked out the Singing CPA music video, then you should.

Thanks footnoted.org for finding this video.

Malaysia Stocks: The Fifth Asian Tiger

Some facts about Malaysia:
1. It the 34th largest economy in the world by purchasing power parity.
2. It has an inflation rate of only 3.8%.
3. The country has only 5.1% of its population below the poverty line.
4. The unemployment rate is only 3.5%.
5. The main countries that it exports to are the United States, Singapore, Japan, China, Thailand, and Hong Kong.
6. It has the largest number of industrial robots in the Muslim world.
7. It is negotiating free trade deals with Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Singapore, Thailand, and Chile.
8. It is number 32 of all countries in terms of GDP.

Here are some Malaysian companies which might be worth taking a look at:

Amsteel Berhad ADR New (AMSBY.PK) is involved in the businesses of property development, operation of hotels, oil palm and rubber, manufacture and sale of steel related-products, security services and security-related equipment. Net profit margin for the latest quarter was 33.52% and the operating margin was 81.91%.

Boustead Holdings Berhad (BSTHF.PK) is a diversified Malaysian holding company involved in plantations, finance and investments, real estate properties, manufacturing and trading, the service industry and Boustead Emastulin, their automotive division. Revenues for the latest year were up over 113%., and earnings per share were up 8.3%.

Genting International PLC (GIGNF.PK) is involved in the business of developing, operating and marketing integrated resorts and casinos in Australia, North America, South America, Malaysia, the Philippines and the United Kingdom. Revenues for the latest year were up 262%, whereas earnings per share dropped by 61%.

Kuala Lumpus Kepong (KLKBY.PK) is a Malaysian diversified and agricultural company in the businesses of plantations, manufacturing, retailing and property development. Revenues for the latest quarter were up over 20.7% over the same period last year, and net income per share was up 89.6%.

Malayan Banking ADR (MLYBY.PK) is Malaysia’s largest bank holding company. Interest income was up 22.2% for the latest quarter and fully diluted earnings per share increased by 15.5%.

MBF Holdings Berhad (MBFBF.PK) is an investment holding company which is involved in card and payment services, trading and manufacturing, property and hospitality, plantations, financial services. Net profit margin for the latest quarter was 8.21% and the operating margin was 7.85%.

Resorts World Berhad (RSWSF.PK) is in the amusement, gaming, hotel and entertainment business. Net profit margin for the latest quarter was 22.33% and the operating margin was 34.76%.

Sime Darby Berhad ADR (SIDBY.PK) is involved in plantations, properties, heavy equipment, motor vehicle, energy and utilities, and general trading and services. Net profit margin for the latest quarter was 5.79% and the operating margin was 7.45%.

Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNABY.PK) is a Malaysian electrical utility involved in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Net profit margin for the latest quarter was 18.70% and the operating margin was 22.58%.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com.

McDonald's Sued for Using English

McDonald's Corp. (MCD) in China was sued for not using Chinese, but using English, on its receipts. The Chines lawyer is asking for a monetary amount of 1 yuan, which equals about 13 cents.

Harley Davidson Chasing Women

Harley Davidson (HOG), which trades in the New York Stock Exchange, is making a concerted effort to sell motorcycles to women. In 2006, about 12% of the Harleys sold were to women. Check out the chart at this link which shows a substantial increase in sales of Harley's to women over the last 20 years.

Highest Yielding Life Insurance Companies: The Forgotten Financials

There has been a lot of negative news affecting the banks, mortgage companies and, to a lesser extent, investment brokerage firms, such as the sub-prime debacle, increasing foreclosures, rising interest rates, and a glut of real estate inventory. However, in the financial services industry, there has been a group that is somewhat overlooked, the life insurance companies. There will obviously be some exposure to the sub-prime problems, but not to the extent of the banks and mortgage companies. Fortunately, there are about ten life insurance companies that pay dividends of more than 1%. The following are the top ten by yield sorted by highest to lowest.

Prudential plc (PUK), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, is the London based insurance and financial services company, not to be confused with the American based Prudential Financial Inc. (PRU). Prudential plc is primarily involved in the business of life insurance, pensions, and annuities, but they also provide mortgage banking services. The stock has a P/E of 39, a PS of 0.97, and a yield of 3.1%.

Presidential Life (PLFE), which trades on NASDAQ, is a Nyack, New York based firm which provides various types of insurance products including graded benefit life insurance, universal life, whole life, term life, single premium annuities, single premium deferred annuities, single premium immediate products, flexible premium annuities and group terminal funding annuities. The stock has a P/E of 9.95 and a yield of 2.9%.

Sun Life Financial (SLF), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, is a Canadian based life and health insurance company which also provides savings, retirement, and pension products. The stock has a P/E of 14.35, a price earnings to growth ratio of 1.29, and a yield of 2.4%.

Lincoln National (LNC) is another NYSE traded life insurance company which provides a yield of 2.4%. The stock has a P/E of 12.18 and a PEG of 1.13.

Manulife Financial Corp. (MFC), a life insurance firm which trades on the NYSE. The stock is generating a yield of 2.1%. The P/E on the stock is 15.62 and has a PEG of 1.25.

Protective Life (PL) trades on the NYSE and produces a yield of 2%. The P/E ratio for this life insurer is 10.6 and the PEG is 1.26.

American National Insurance (ANAT) is a NASDAQ traded insurance company which has a yield of 1.9%. The P/E on their stock is 14.99.

Nationwide Financial Services (NFS) is a provider of various type of annuity products along with life insurance. This NYSE traded company has a P/E of 11.5, a PEG of 1.37 and a yield of 1.7%.

FBL Financial (FFG) offers life insurance, annuities, and property and casualty insurance products. Their P/E is 13.09, the PEG is 1.3, and the yield is 1.3%.

Genworth Financial (GNW) provides life, health, and long term care insurance products along with investment products. The stock has a P/E of 11.28, a PEG of 0.93, and a yield of 1.1%.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

L'Oreal / Penelope Cruz Criticised for Fake Eyelashes

L'OREAL (LRLCY.PK), the famous makeup company was criticised for using Penelope Cruz with fake eyelashes in a commercial for 'Telescopic' mascara. There was no disclaimer either.

Is Investing in Grades a Good Idea? No!!!!!

34 people had felony charges brought against them for changing grades at a public California community college, and is considered one of the worst grade changing scandals in history. According to news reports, Diablo Valley College, located in Pleasant Hill, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area, had a huge grade changing ring operating since 2000. Students supposedly pay up to $600 per grade to change an F to an A, in order to get into U.C. Berkeley, U.C. Davis, San Francisco State, and even Cal Poly. Apparently, dozens of student workers had access to the grade portal. The comment from the chancellor of the Contra Costa Community College District of which DVC was a part of was "We were clueless."

Why AT&T Stock Could Be Up Substantially by Year End

Those that have been reading my articles for a while know that I don't make specific stock recommendations, but I do come up with stock ideas worth further investigation. The last time [and only time] I’ve ever come up with a long list of ‘Why It Could Be Higher’ reasons for a stock was when I wrote about Amazon.com (AMZN) back on March 8, 2007, when the stock was trading at 38.10 per share. Today the stock went from a close of 69.25 to 84.09 in the after-market, an increase of over 21% in one afternoon. Obviously, past performance is no guarantee of future stocks that I write about.

I have come across a stock which I believe will be substantially higher by year end. That stock is AT&T Inc. (T), which closed at 39.68 today. What is interesting is that the ‘old’ AT&T was considered a “widows and orphans” stock, which meant that it could be sold to little old ladies without having to worry about the company going out of business. It was in the same class as utilities, paying a steady dividend. The ‘new’ AT&T is actually the old SBC Communications, which came about from the break-up of the old AT&T in 1983, and which took over its former parent company, American Telephone & Telegraph. I still think AT&T is a safe stock, but I also think it has lots of growth potential.

Here are some positive features about this stock:

1. Their earnings increased by 61% in the second-quarter of 2007, with virtually no reflection of iPhone sign ups.
2. They have a captive market with all purchasers of iPhones. If you own an iPhone, you have to connect with AT&T.
3. iPhone buyers will be ‘locked in’ to AT&T for two years.
4. Revenues from their wireless data division increased by 67% for the quarter.
5. Their U-verse television service increased subscribers by 292%, second quarter over first quarter.
6. They anticipate 40,000 U-verse installations per month by the end of 2007.
7. Cost savings from the integration of BellSouth are increasing substantially.
8. The price to earnings ratio is 20.34, lower than Quest (Q), Sprint (S), and Verizon (VZ).
9. The price earnings to growth ratio is 1.95, less than Sprint (S), and Verizon (VZ).
10. The company generates net earnings of $29,000 per employee, more than Quest (Q), Sprint (S), and Verizon (VZ).
11. The stock pays a yield of 3.5%.
12. The company has paid dividends quarterly for over 20 years.

Author owns AT&T. Picture is courtesy of the Library of Congress.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com.

California Bans Adidas Kangaroo Shoes

The California Supreme Court has come out with a decision banning Adidas AG (ADDYY.PK) shoes made out of kangaroo leather. Adidas claimed that they were helping to control the expanding population of kangaroos in Australia. Adidas trades on the Pink Sheets in the United States.

Indonesia Stocks: Land of 17,500 Islands

Some interesting facts about Indonesia:
1. It has the fourth highest population in the world.
2. Major products include petroleum, natural gas, textiles, apparel, minerals, palm oil, rice, tea, coffee, spices, and rubber.
3. It is number 21 of all countries in terms of gross domestic product.
4. They are number 15 in terms of GDP by Purchasing Power Parity.
5. It is is Southeast Asia's only member of OPEC.
6. They had a a trade surplus in 2005.
7. It is a republic, with an elected president and parliament.

Indosat tbk PT (IIT) founded in 1967, is a large telecommunications company in Indonesia which trades on the New York Stock Exchange. It has a P/E of 27.6, a P/S of 3.13, and a yield of 3.1%. Quarterly earnings were up 26% on a 30% increase in earnings.

MedcoEnergi Internasional TBK PT (PTGIF.PK) is an integrated oil and gas company in the business of exploration, drilling, production and energy production. The company's 2007 first quarter net income increased by 17%.

Pasifik Satelit Nusantara ADR PT (PSNRY.PK) is a satellite communications company, and was the first provider of satellite telecommunications service to Indonesia.

Kalbe Farma Ord PT (PTKFF.PK) manufactures and markets pharmaceuticals for humans and animals, along with other nutritional products. The stock has a P/E of 22 and a P/S of 2. The company has a market cap of $1.47 billion.

Kawasan Industri Jababeka ORD PT (PTKWF.PK) develops industrial estate in Indonesia, and occasionally trades in the United States. It was listed in Forbes list of Asia's 200 Best Under A Billion. The stock has a P/E of 14 and a P/S of 3.

Perusahaan Perseroan Perseropt PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia tbk (TLK), also known as TELEKOMUNIKASI INDONESIA, trades on the New York Stock Exchange. It was founded in 1884 and is in the telecommunications business including both fixed wire line and fixed wireless, mobile service, data and Internet services. The P/E is 21.4, the P/S is 4.1, and the yield is 2.3%. Latest quarterly earnings were up 22.8% but earnings were down 12.1%.

Holcim Indonesia TBK (PTHIF.PK) recently started trading publicly in the U.S. in April of this year. It is a very large cement and aggregates company which sells to Indonesia’s building and construction industry. Net sales increased by 23.8% and net income went up 94.1%.

Indonesia Fund Inc. (IF) is a closed end fund which trades on the American Stock Exchange. The fund is currently trading at 47% above net asset value. It currently pays a small yield of 0.6%.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com.

FBI Spyware Undetectable

For the first time it was reported that the FBI is using a new software called a "computer and internet protocol address verifier," or CIPAV in order to track down a potential criminal. It retrieves far more than the IP address; it gets the MAC address, open ports, currently running programs, and much more. Supposedly, the normal spyware detection programs won't detect this kind of software. Let's hope it doesn't get into the wrong hands.

Woman in Bikinis Mow Lawns: Small Business Idea of the Week

Tiger Time Lawn Care in Memphis has come up with a business idea that is steaming: Women gardeners who mow lawns wearing bikinis. The business gets a lot of drive by free publicity. (Sorry, no pictures at this link.)

Gisele Bundchen Stock Index

Components of the Gisele Bündchen Stock Index: LVMUY.PK LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A. owns several companies which Gisele is the spokesperson for, including Louis Vuitton (a luxury French fashion company), Givenchy ( French retailer of clothing, accessories, perfumes and cosmetics), Guerlain (the oldest perfume house in the world), and Céline. AAPL Appeared on the 'Get a Mac' advertisements to promote the new line of Macintosh's. LTD Victoria's Secret model, owned by Limited Brands. Note: On May 1st, 2007, Victoria's Secret announced that Bundchen had ended her contract with them. RL Advertising campaign face for Ralph Lauren, owned by Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. BULIF.PK Advertising campaign face for Bulgari, Italian jeweler and luxury goods retailer. PPRUF.PK Celebrity endorsement - Balenciaga, a fashion house, owned by Gucci, owned by PPR SA. VIV Celebrity endorsement - Vivo Participacoes S.A. largest mobile phone service provider in Brazil and in South America. NWS Starred in the comedy, Taxi, in her movie debut, and The Devil Wears Prada , both produced by 20th Century Fox, a division of News Corp. SNE Rumored to be starring in the upcoming Angels and Demons distributed by Sony. VIA-B She won the the VH1/Vogue Model of the Year, VH1 owned by MTV Networks, which is owned by Viacom, Inc. LGDDF.PK Lagardere Groupe SCA owns ELLE magazine, on which and in which Gisele's picture appeared many times. Assumptions: This is a price-weighted index, similar to the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Dividends were excluded. Returns: The Gisele Index was up 15% during the last three months, substantially outperforming the Dow Jones Industrial Average which was up only 8.2%. Author owns AAPL. By Fred Fuld for Stockerblog.com.

Shipping Stocks: Are they Sinking?

Since the rates charged for shipping vessels tanked by over 20 percent recently, the companies in the oil tanker business have taken a beating. A popping of a bubble has been predicted for this industry for a long time. Is this just a temporary sell-off creating a buying opportunity or is it the beginning of a long term decline?

This is one industry where the yields have been extremely high with some topping out above 30% in the past year. However, yields have been dropping, and are probably not sustain-able even at these levels. The shipping industry may end up replacing the sub prime industry as the new ‘bad boy’ sector.

As an example, let’s look at Frontline Ltd. (FRO) which currently yields 11.8%. This Bermuda based company owns and operates oil tankers for transporting crude oil, coal and iron ore. The company has been paying dividends on a regular basis [March, June, August or September, and December) along with special dividends. But if you look at the trend of what they have been paying each year, you will see what I am talking about:
2004 they paid $22.14 per share in dividends
2005 they paid $15.96 per share in dividends
2006 they paid $7.00 per share in dividends
That trend does not look good. When you add that to the fact that the quarterly revenues and the quarterly earnings were down by 25%, it doesn’t look good. The stock has a forward P/E of 14.15, and the company was recently downgraded by UBS.

Second highest is Nordic American Tanker Shipping Ltd. (NAT) is another oil tanker company headquartered in Bermuda. It yields 11.6%, with a P/E of 13.85 and a high P/S of 7.95. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 19.5% on a 27.6% revenue increase.

Some of the other high yielding shipping stocks are:
US Shipping Partners (USS) 8.7%
Double Hull Tankers (DHT) 8.5%
Omega Navigation (ONAV) 8.3%
Arlington Tankers (ATB) 8.1%
Knightsbridge Tankers Ltd. (VLCCF) 7.9%
Eagle Bulk Shipping (EGLE )7.4%
Ship Finance International Ltd. (SFL) 7.2%
General Maritime (GMR) 7.0%

If you want to download an Excel database with all the shipping stocks and their yields and other financial data, go to Wall Street News Network.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com.

Number of US Farms versus S&P 500

I was doing some research on the reduction in the number of farms in the United States, and came up with this graph which shows the number of farms each year versus the S&P 500. There is an inverse relationship of course, but one of the things that really caught my eye was how dramatic, from a visual standpoint, the dot com crash was.

Wall Street Quotation of the Week

"With an evening coat and a white tie, anybody, even a stock broker, can gain a reputation for being civilized."
- Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) Poet & playwright

Carbon Emissions Credit Trading Stocks

A carbon credit is a tradable monetary security which is equal to one ton of a greenhouse gas, such as carbon dioxide. Due to greenhouse gas restrictions put in place by various countries based on the Kyoto Protocol quotas, businesses that are generating emissions that are less than their quotas can sell their credits to companies which are unable to stay below their quotas. The proceeds in essence reimburse the selling company for reducing their emissions. Trading also takes place between countries.

There are four major exchanges for the trading of carbon credits: the Chicago Climate Exchange in the United States, the European Climate Exchange in England, Nord Pool in Norway, and PowerNext in France. Louis Redshaw, who is in charge of environmental markets at Barclays Capital, said “Carbon will be the world's biggest commodity market and it could become the world's biggest market overall." Fortunately, there are several companies which are connected to carbon emissions trading. Many of these are low cap stocks and should be considered very speculative.

Agcert International (AGCTF.PK) is involved in the production and sale of greenhouse gas emission reductions and Certified Emission Reductions [CERs]. The company generated a loss per share of €0.58 cents for 2006.

Alkane Energy PLC (ALKAF.PK) builds and operates methane harnessing systems from man-made sources for renewable generation of electricity with the potential of the trading of carbon emission reduction certificates through the EU ETS from 2008, if the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme [ETS] is expanded to cover methane. Operating profit and net profit were positive for the latest year, versus losses for the previous year.

Camco International (CAMCF.PK) identifies and develops projects for industrial companies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and then assists in the sale and delivery of carbon credits into the international market. Losses per share increased substantially in 2006 over 2005.

Climate Exchange PLC (CXCHF.PK) owns the Chicago Climate Exchange, Inc., which trades in the emissions of six gasses including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, perfluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons, and the European Climate Exchange, which provides futures contracts and options contracts of emissions, known as Carbon Financial Instruments. Goldman Sachs has taken a major position in this company. Pro-forma operating loss was reduced by 30% in the latest reported period.

Econergy International PLC (ECONF.PK) is involved in the origination, development and marketing of Clean Development Mechanism [CDM] projects. Although revenues increased for the latest reported year, net after tax loss went up.

Ecosecurities Group (ECGUF.PK) assists companies to create and purchase carbon credits from projects that reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Although the pre-tax loss increased for the year 2006, diluted loss per share dropped.

Trading Emissions PLC (TRDGF.PK) is a closed end fund that was established to acquire tradable environmental instruments in projects developed under the Clean Development Mechanism [CDM] and Joint Implementation [JI] of the Kyoto Protocol. The company had a pretax profit of 2.9 million British pounds for the first half of the fiscal year.

Author owns CXCHF.PK.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com.

Robot Fly

A Harvard professor has developed a robot that looks like a fly and is the size of a fly with the wingspan of three centimeters. It can even fly. Any commercial applications here?

Former Head of BP becomes Art Gallery Trustee

Lord Browne, the former head of the Brisish petroleum company, BP (BP), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, had gone from oil in cars to oils on canvas. He was trustee of Tate Gallery in England.

Luxury Addiction Causes Embezzlement

I've heard of all kinds of addictions but this is a first. A woman in South Korea embezzled about $1.4 million in tax payments because she was addicted to luxury. She spent her money on designer clothing and shoes.

Advertising Agency Stocks: Are You Tempted to Buy?

The advertising industry have evolved significantly over the last several years, with TiVo’s [to skip ads], product placements, pay per clicks, pay per calls, pay per action, and many other advertising models. The three top advertising agency stocks were up over 25% during the last twelve months. Here are some advertising stocks worth viewing.

AdStar Inc. (ADST), which trades on NASDAQ, is in the business of providing technology services to the classified advertising industry using its proprietary software. Forward P/E is 42.3 and the P/S ratio is 5.05. This is a very low cap stock and should be considered very speculative.

Catalina Marketing Corp. (POS) provides behavior based marketing communications services. The stock has a P/E of 24.5, a PEG of 1.74, and a yield of 0.9%. The company is currently involved in a merger agreement with funds affiliated with Hellman & Friedman LLC.

EMAK Worldwide Inc. (EMAK), which also trades on NASDAQ, is a marketing services company that provides agency services, promotional products, and consumer products. Although the P/S ratio is 0.09, the earnings have been negative. This is a very low cap stock and should be considered very speculative.

Focus Media Holding Ltd. (FMCN), is a Shanghai based company which provides advertising networks using audiovisual television displays in China. The P/E is 53 and the PEG is 0.76.

Interpublic Group of Companies Inc. (IPG), which trades on the NYSE, is in the business of advertising and marketing services through two divisions, the Integrated Agency Network and the Constituency Management Group. It has been in business since 1902. The forward P/E is 20.8, the P/S is 0.84, and the PEG is 5.16. The company’s earnings call is scheduled for Tuesday, August 7.

Monster Worldwide Inc. (MNST), which although it could fall into several categories of industries, is definitely in the advertising business. It is one of the largest online employment web sites in the world. The P/E is 159, the P/S is 4.52, and a PEG of 1.14. Their earnings call scheduled for Monday, July 30.

Omnicom Group Inc. (OMC) is in the business of advertising, marketing, and corporate communications services. The P/E is 20.7, the PEG is 1.62, and the yield is 1.1%.

Publicis Groupe SA (PUB), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, is a Paris based advertising company. The P/E is 16.3, the P/S is is 1.45, and the yield is 1.3%.

Triple Crown Media Inc. (TCMI) is in the business of providing collegiate marketing and production services, along with owning five newspapers. The stock has a P/E of 10.5, and a P/S of 0.32.

ValueClick Inc. (VCLK) provides advertising services for online advertiser. The P/E is 43.5 and the PEG is 2.02.

WPP Group plc (WPPGY) is one of the largest advertising and communications services companies in the world. The P/E is 21, the PEG is 1.18, and the yield is 1.5%.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld for Stockerblog.com.

SEC Goes After Botnet Stock Swindlers

The SEC brought charges against two Texans for using botnets which hijacked numerous computers of unsuspecting people to send out spam emails promoting penny stocks that they owned and dumped when the stocks rose on investor buying. The swindlers swindled almost $5 million from investors, according to the SEC.

CNBC's $200,000 Prize Game Show

cNBC will be running "Fast Money MBA Challenge" for MBA students who will compete against each other for $200,000 to pay for their college education. CNBC is owned by NBC Universal, which is owned by General Electric (GE), which trades on the NYSE, and Vivendi (VIVEF.PK), which trades on the Pink Sheets.

Singapore Stocks: Asia’s Hidden Gem

Some facts about Singapore:
1. It is one of the few city-states in the world.
2. It is the 18th wealthiest country in the world in terms of GDP per capita.
3. It is rated a high 25th place on the Human Development Index.
4. Based on the amount of tonnage shipped, it is the busiest port in the world.
5. It is the fourth largest foreign exchange trading center.
6. It is rated as the most business-friendly economy in the world.
7. The economy had an estimated growth rate of 8.2% for the second quarter of 2007.
8. Almost ten million tourists visited Singapore last year.
9. The government legalized gambling in 2005.

Here are some Singaporian stocks worth examining:

Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd. (CHRT), which trades on NASDAQ, is in the business of providing wafer fabrication services and technologies to semiconductor suppliers and companies. The P/E is 53.3, the P/S is 1.56, and the PEG is 2.22.

City Developments (CDEVY.PK) is in the Singapore real estate business. They have paid dividends at least annually in six out of the last seven years. The yield is about 1%.

DBS Group Holdings (DBSDY.PK) is a bank holding company which owns DBS Bank, which is the largest bank in South East Asia by assets. Income for the latest year was up 17%, and profits increased by 175%.

Grand Banks Yachts ADR (GBYLY.PK) manufactures and markets three different series of yachts. Although it trades fairly regularly in the US on the Pink Sheets, little financial data is available on the company.

Keppel Corp. LTD SPON (KPELY.PK) diversified conglomerate in the business of real estate, marine, and infrastructure industries. The stock has a P/E of 18 and has paid dividends at least twice a year since 2001.

Neptune Orient (NPTOY.PK) is a container shipping global transport company. It owns American President Lines also known as APL. Net profit for the latest quarter was down 64% year over year.

Singapore Telecommunications ADR (SGAPY.PK) also known as SingTel, provides telecommunication systems and services in over 20 countries. The P/E is 14.7 and the P/S is 4.14, with a yield of 3.2%.

STATS ChipPAC Ltd. (STTS), which trades on NASDAQ, offers semiconductor packaging and test services to the semiconductor industry around the world. The P/E is 29, the P/S is 1.35, and the PEG is 1.19.

United Overseas Bank (UOVEY.PK) is Singapore's largest bank in terms of domestic customer loans, credit cards and market capitalization. Their after tax net profit increased by 17.9% for the first quarter of 2007.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld for Stockerblog.com.

Finland: The Forgotten Scandinavian Country

Some interesting facts about Finland:
1. Finland is the freest nation in the world, according to the WAD profile, in terms of
a. civil liberties
b. freedom of the press
c. low corruption levels
d. political rights
2. It is the sixth happiest nation in the world.
3. It is number 11 on the 2006 United Nations Human Development Index.
4. The largest industries are electronics, machinery, vehicles and other engineered metal products, forest industry, and chemicals.
5. It is the most competitive country in the world for three consecutive years, according to the World Economic Forum.
6. Linus Torvalds, developer of the Linux kernel, is Finnish.
7. It has an inflation rate of 1.9%.
8. It has the twelfth highest GDP per capital in the world.

Here are some Finnish stocks worth reviewing:

Fortum Corp. Finland (FOJCF.PK) is a large energy company which provides electricity, heat, and power plant operation and maintenance. They are in the process of building a biofuel power plant near Helsinki. For the period of January through June 2007, comparable operating profits were up 5%, profit before taxes were up 23%, and earnings per share were up strong at 33%.

Amer Sports Cp Sponsored ADR (AGPDY.PK) is the Finnish company that owns the Wilson Sporting Goods organization. It makes popular tennis rackets that have been used by Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Flavio Saretta, Jack Kramer, Jimmy Connors, Chris Evert, and Steffi Graf. It also owns the Atomic, Suunto, Precor and Salomon sports brands. It has paid annual dividends in six, out of the last seven years.

Kemira OYJ Ord Shrs (KMRAF.PK) is in the business of pulp and paper chemicals (the largest producer in the world), water treatment chemicals, industrial chemicals and paints. The country of Finland owns 49% of the shares.

Metso Corp. (MX), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, makes and sells equipment, machinery, and automated systems to the paper, minerals, and power industries. The stock has a P/E of 16.2, a P/S of 1.25, and a yield of 2.7%. It has paid dividends annually for the last eight years.

Nokia Corp. (NOK), which is the largest company in Finland and trades on the NYSE, is the largest manufacturer of mobile telephones, devices, and networks. It has about 36% of the world’s mobile phone market share. The P/E is 20.5, the P/S is 2.04, and the PEG is 1.74. It pays a dividend rate of 1.6%.

Stora Enso Corp. (SEO) makes and markets paper, packaging board, and wood products. The oldest known stock certificate in existence is from Stora Kopparberg, dated 1288, which later became Stora Enso. The stock has a P/E of 18.5, a P/S of 0.72, and a yield of 2.4%.

UPM-Kymmene Corp. (UPM) makes and sells magazine, newsprint, and fine and specialty papers. The P/E is 25.7, the P/S is 0.94, and the yield is 3.4%.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld for Stockerblog.com.

Longest Domain Name, Longest Closure of the NYSE

The website, thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthe
longestdomainnameatlonglast.com, which has the longest domain name, came up with the interesting fact that the longest suspension of New York Stock Stock Exchange was from July 31 1914 to November 28 1914, due to the World War I.

Posh Spice Victoria Beckham Stock Index

Components of the Posh Spice Victoria Beckham Stock Index:
PPRUF.PK - She has a strong preference for Gucci dresses, Gucci owned by PPR SA
GE - General Electric owns NBC, which broadcast 'Victoria Beckham: Coming to America'
VIVEF.PK - Vivendi owns Universal Music Group, which owns Roc-A-Fella Records which produced her song "This Groove"
EMIPY.PK - Her single, "Not Such An Innocent Girl", released by Virgin Records, owned by EMI Group
CKXE - CKX Inc. owns 19 Entertainment which is the manager of Spice Girls
ICON - Iconix Brand Group owns Rocawear, urban clothing label Celebrity Endorsement
SKS - She recently released her dVb denim collection at Saks Inc.
PSO - Pearson plc owns Penguin Books which published her autobiography, 'Learning to Fly'
SNE - Sony Corp. owns Columbia Pictures, which owns Psygnosis which made 'Spice World: The Game'

To track and to see more details on the Victoria Beckham connection to these stocks, go to Stockpickr.com, and check out the Victoria Beckham Stock Portfolio.

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

Returns:
Victoria Beckham index ended up over 4.3% from where it was three months ago, underperforming the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which was up 9.4%.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld for Stockerblog.com.

Honda Opening Plants Around the World

Honda (HMC), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, is expanding globally, with plans to open plants in Thailand, Vietnam, India and Argentina, and China. They are also building a $246 million R&D center in China

West Nile Virus Caused by High Foreclosures

In the suburban San Francisco Bay Area county of Contra Costa, it was reported that the areas of the county that have high foreclosure rates have a very high incidence of the West Nile Virus. According to a representative of the Contra Costa Mosquito District, this is due to people walking away from their foreclosed homes with swimming pools, which the mosquitoes use as a breeding ground. The areas with the huge foreclosures are turning up dead humans, birds, horses chickens, and squirrels.

Cop Shot With his own Taser in his own Home

A Dallas, Texas police officer was shot in his home by a woman using his Taser, which is made TASER International Inc. (TASR), which trades on NASDAQ. The woman thought it was a flashlight.

Colombia Stocks: New Trading Partner?

With the Administration moving forward to sign a trade agreement with Colombia, there may be investment opportunities in that country.

Some facts about Colombia:

1. The US has been Colombia’s largest trading partner.
2. Colombia’s exports to the U.S. are approximately $5.4 billion.
3. Colombia imports from the U.S. are approximately $3.3 billion.
4. is the fifth largest destination of foreign direct investment in Latin America.
5. Products and services include oil, coffee, apparel, flowers, mining, energy, automotive, infrastructure, pharmaceutical, consumer products and financial services.
6. It has the second largest population in South America.
7. It is the largest Spanish speaking nation by population in South America.
8. The Happy Planet Index ranked Colombia the #2 happiest country.
9. Inflation has been below 6% for the last three years.
10. Cruise ships will begin returning to the country in October 2007.
11. It is number 27 of all countries for GDP purchasing power parity.
12. It produces almost twice as much oil as it consumes.

Here are some stocks from the country of Colombia.

Colombia Goldfields Limited (CGDF.OB), through their Colombian subsidiaries Cia Minera de Caldas S.A. and Gavilan Minerales S.A., is developing gold mining properties in Colombia's Marmato Mountain gold district. Their offices are in Medellin, Colombia and Toronto Ontario. The company has reported no revenues and negative earnings.

Bancolombia S.A. (CIB) is a banking company with over 700 branches in Colombia. The P/E is 16.4, the PEG is 1.58, and the yield is 2.9%.

Corporacion Financiera del Valle SA (CRPFY.PK) is a financial services company which rarely trades in the U.S.

Interconexion Electrica Sponsored ADR (IESFY.PK) is Colombia’s largest power company. The Colombian government is considering selling off its 56% ownership in the company. The shares are up 8.6% for the last 12 months.

SPDR S&P Emerging Latin America (GML) is an exchange traded fund which has the goal of tracking the S&P/Citigroup BMI Latin America index, by investing in stocks from Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. This ETF is up over 28% since its inception in March of this year.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld for Stockerblog.com.

Mining Executive Bares All (Literally)

According to the BBC, Donal Kinsella, a top executive and deputy chairman of Kenmare Resources (KMRPF.PK), an Irish mining company which trades in both Ireland and on the Pink Sheets in the US, appeared in the nude in front of a female co-worker at the celebration of a new mine opening. Kinsella admits he did it but claims he was sleepwalking.

Harry Potter Stock Index

Refer to Stockpickr.com for details on the components of the index and their connections to Harry Potter.

Assumptions:
This is a price-weighted index, similar to the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Dividends were excluded. Only the major stocks were included in the index.

Returns:
During the last three months, the Harry Potter Stock Index was up 13.5%, outperforming the Dow which was up only 11.1%.

Puerto Rico Stocks: 'The Fifty First State'

Some facts about Puerto Rico:
1. It is considered a high income country by the World Bank.
2. Its industries include petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and technology.
3. The country receives approximately 5 million tourists per year.
4. One third of the tourists are cruise ship passengers.
5. The UN Development Program put it in the top 15 countries for the Human Development Index.
6. If it were a country, it would rank in the top 70 of all countries in terms of Purchasing Power Parity.
7. If it were a country, it would rank in the top 60 of all countries in terms of GDP per capita.
8. It was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Columbus' second voyage to the Americas.
9. According to the CIA Factbook, it has the potential for onshore and offshore oil.
10. Tourism has benefited from the new U.S. passport law which has cut down on visitors to other non-U.S. Caribbean islands.

The following is a list of Puerto Rican stocks, many of which are traded on the New York Stock Exchange and pay dividends. However, some of these are low cap, so they should be considered very speculative:

Doral Financial Corp. (DRL), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, is involved in the business of mortgage banking, banking, institutional securities, and insurance. Earnings have been negative, and the price to sales ratio is 1.19.

Equus Gaming Co. (EQUUS.PK) is in the thoroughbred racing and off track betting business. In 2004, three affiliates of the company filed for bankruptcy.

First BanCorp (FBP) is a bank holding company. Revenues were up 18.5% for the latest reported year and earnings were up by about 13.5%. The yield is 2.6% and it pays dividends quarterly.

Margo Caribe Inc. (MRGO.PK) produces and sells tropical plants and trees. Earnings have been negative and the P/S ratio is 1.42.

Oriental Financial Group Inc. (OFG), which trades on the NYSE, is a bank holding company which owns Oriental Bank and Trust. The stock has a forward P/E of 10.96 and a P/S of 4.24. The stock has a dividend rate of 5.2% and pays quarterly.

Popular Inc. (BPOP), which trades on NASDAQ, is a financial holding company which owns Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, and provides banking, leasing, and insurance services. The P/E is 13.05, the PEG is 2.01, and the yield is 4%. It pays dividends quarterly.

R&G Financial Corporation (RGFC.PK) is in the banking and mortgage business. On July 13, 2007, R&G announced that its subsidiary R&G Mortgage Corporation has received notice from GNMA declaring it in default under the guaranty agreements.

Santander Bancorp (SBP), which trades on the NYSE, is the bank holding company for Banco Santander Puerto Rico, which provides banking, asset management, and insurance services. The P/E is 15.2, the PEG is 1.2, and it yields 4.5%, with dividends paid quarterly.

W Holding Co. Inc. (WHI), which trades on the NYSE, is the bank holding company for Westernbank Puerto Rico, which provides banking and insurance services. The P/E is 7.94, the PEG is 0.84, and the yield is 6.7% with the dividends paid monthly. In June, the stock sank when the company reported that one of its major loans is impaired.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Are You Watching Cable TV Stocks?

Many cable television stocks have been doing extremely well recently, both on a price per share basis and on an earnings basis. For example, Comcast (CMCSA), the largest cable company by market cap, and which also offers high-speed Internet, and phone services, is up over 30% during the last twelve months. The stock has a P/E of 30.5, a P/S of 3.22, and a PEG of 2.34. Revenues increased 32% for the quarter ending March 31, while earnings were up over 79%. They report their latest earnings on July 26.

Some of the other cable stocks with market caps over $1 billion include Time Warner Cable, Inc. (TWC) serves customers in high growth areas such as New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, southern California, and Texas. The P/E is 19.6, a P/S of 2.95, and a PEG of 1.81.

Viacom, Inc. (VIA-B) offers cable television program services through MTV Networks, VH1, Country Music Television, Logo, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, COMEDY CENTRAL, Spike TV, TV Land, and BET. The P/E is 20, a P/S of 2.44, and a PEG of 1.33.

British Sky Broadcasting Group plc (BSY), a UK company that distributes television broadcast services to customers in the Great Britain and Ireland. The stock yields 1.8% and has been paying their dividends since 1995. The P/E is 24.9.

Liberty Global Inc. (LBTYA) provides cable television, video, voice, and Internet access services \ in Europe, Japan, and South America. The stock has a P/E of 59.8 and a P/S of 2.36.

Cablevision Systems Corp. (CVC) provides basic video, interactive digital video, high-speed data, voice over Internet protocol [VoIP], and residential telephone services. It also owns Madison Square Garden. The stock has a forward P/E of 49.6, a P/S of 1.8, and a PEG of 37.

Shaw Communications, Inc. (SJR), a Calgary Canada based company that pays a yield of 2.3% and has paid dividends since 1998. The P/E is 21 and a PEG of 0.92.

Discovery Holding Co. (DISCA) owns a 50% interest in Discovery Communications, Inc., which operates channels, and provides original and purchased television programming around the world. The forward P/E is 58.4 and the PEG is 2.09.

Charter Communications Inc. (CHTR) provides video programming, high-speed Internet access, broadband cable services, high definition TV services, and telephone services. The stock has had negative earnings and a P/S of 0.33.

Author does not currently own any of the above stocks.

By Fred Fuld for Stockerblog.com

NASD Name Change

The consolidation of the National Association of Securities Dealers [NASD]and the New York Stock Exchange Member Regulation will be known as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA instead of the Securities Industry Regulatory Authority.

Fuel Cell Stocks are Charging Ahead

There are several categories of alternative energy stocks, including solar energy stocks, wind energy stocks, ethanol stocks, flywheel stocks, carbon emissions trading stocks and geothermal stocks. However, fuel cell companies have their own unique characteristics and potentials.

A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device which produces electricity from external supplies of fuel and an oxidant. They can operate continuously, as long as the flow continues between the fuel and the oxidant. A fuel cell's electrodes are relatively stable, unlike a battery. The most common type of fuel cell is the hydrogen fuel cell, which uses hydrogen as fuel and oxygen as oxidant. There are also alcohol fuel cells, hydrocarbon fuel cells, and several other types.

Fuel cells are considered to have more benefits than other types of fuel due to the fact that fuel cells are more energy efficient and cleaner. There are a large number of pure plays and semi-pure plays that are publicly traded. The majority of them have negative earnings, and many aren’t even generating any sales, so most of these should be considered very speculative. The following is the list of most of the major fuel cell players:

Air Products and Chemicals (APD) They market various types of gasses worldwide. The company developed and continues to operate a hydrogen production facility, a fuel cell power plant and a fueling station which dispenses hydrogen and hydrogen blended fuels to a fleet of light duty vehicles in Las Vegas. They also supply Honda Motor Company with high pressure gas and two hydrogen fuelers for their Fuel Cell Vehicle Program with the city of Los Angeles. The stock has a P/E of 24.5, and is one of the few fuel cell related stocks that pays a dividend, generating a yield of 1.8%.

Alternate Energy Corporation (ARGY.OB) This company is involved in bulk production of hydrogen and saleable chemical by-products. The company has no revenues and negative earnings.

American Security Resources (ARSC.OB) This Houston based company develops advanced hydrogen fuel cells. Earnings have been negative.

Arotech Corporation (ARTX) This company develops, manufacture, and sells defense and security products. This company also develops primary and refuelable zinc-air fuel cell technology. Earnings have been negative but quarterly revenues 29.6% year over year. The stock has a P/S of .82.

Astris Energi. (ASRNF.OB) – The company develops fuel cells in the Czech Republic. The company generated a loss of $0.05 for 2006 versus a loss of $0.16 in 2005. The company reported in June that it is in the process of selling all of its assets to MKU Canada Inc.

Avista Corporation (AVA) This Spokane, Washington company was founded in 1889. They generate and distribute energy throughout the United States and Canada. The company also sells its patented fuel cells. Their patent covers any type of fuel cell system that utilizes multiple fuel cell modules. It has a P/E of 20.3, a P/S of .8, a PEG of 3.85, and generates a relatively high yield of 2.7%.

Axion Power Intl Inc (AXPW.PK) The company produces lead-acid-carbon energy storage technologies and is developing prototype e3 Supercells, which are low cost battery-supercapacitor hybrids that use the same cases, materials, components and manufacturing equipment as conventional lead-acid batteries. In June, the company filed a Non-Reliance on Previous Financials, Audits or Interim Review form with the SEC.

Ballard Power Systems (BLDP) The company designs, manufactures, and markets proton exchange membrane [PEM] fuel cells for power generation, automotive, and material products. The stock has negative earnings and a price sales ratio of 11.14.

Cabot Corporation (CBT) This is a is a specialty chemicals and performance materials company. They also develop and manufacture advanced fuel cell electrocatalysts for PEM and DMFC fuel cells. This is another fuel cell dividend generator traded on the New York Stock Exchange that yields 1.5%. The P/E is 23.5, the PEG is 1.37, and the P/S is 1.16.

Distributed Energy (DESC) This company is involved in the production of products for the energy market. They make and sell Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) industrial hydrogen generators [electrolyzers] and fuel cell products. Negative earnings, P/S of 1.14.

Ecotality, Inc. (ETLY.OB) This Scottsdale, Arizona company develops an electric power cell technology for various types of transportation vehicles including cars, buses, trucks, and trains. The company has been generating negative earnings.

Ener1 Inc. (ENEI.OB) The company develops and sells batteries, fuel cells, and nanotechnology-related manufacturing products. Negative earnings and a P/S of over 623.

Energy Conversion Devices (ENER) This Michigan company, which trades on NASDAQ, develops and sells products, and production processes for the alternative energy generation and energy storage markets. The company is working on a fuel system for powering vehicles powered solely by fuel cells. The stock has a forward P/E of 65.7 and a P/S of 12.1.

Enova Systems (ENA) This American Stock Exchange company based in Torrance, California develops and sells components for electric, hybrid-electric, fuel cell, and microturbine-powered vehicles. Negative earnings, P/S of 33.5.

Entegris (ENTG) This materials company, which trades on NASDAQ, provides advanced fuel cell materials, components, subassemblies and other services to fuel cell developers. The stock has a P/E of 26, P/S of 2.4 and a PEG of 1.33.

Fuel Cell Energy (FCEL) This Connecticut company, founded in 1969 and trades on NASDAQ, develops, manufactures, and markets fuel cell power plants for electric power generation. Negative earnings, P/S is 15.4.

Fuel Systems Solutions (FSYS) This company, which trades on NASDAQ, is involved in designing, manufacturing, marketing and supplying advanced products and systems to enable internal combustion engines to run on clean burning gaseous fuels such as natural gas and propane. I could not find a direct reference to fuel cells on their web site. P/E is 32.75 and P/S is 1.21.

Hoku Scientific (HOKU) This Hawaii based company, which trades on NASDAQ, provides products and services to the residential primary power, commercial back-up, and automotive hydrogen fuel cell markets. The stock has a forward P/E of 13.25 and a price sales ratio is 42.

HydroGen Corporation (HYDG) This company, which trades on NASDAQ, is involved in the design, manufacture, marketing, and distribution of fuel cell modules and energy systems using phosphoric acid fuel cells. Earnings have been negative and the P/S is 66.5.

Hydrogen Engine Center (HYEG.OB) This company is involved in the design, and manufacture of internal combustion engines for the industrial and power generation markets. Its engines are designed to run on alternative fuels, including hydrogen. Their website seems to imply that their business may be in competition to fuel cells. Earnings have been negative and the P/S is 82.

Hydrogen Power (HYDP.OB) This company develops and sells a proprietary hydrogen production process for use in commercial applications. Earnings have been negative and the P/S is 100.

Hydrogenics Corporation (HYGS) This company, which trades on NASDAQ, is involved in the design, development, manufacture, and sale of proton-exchange membrane (PEM), fuel cell automated test stations, fuel cell power products, and hydrogen generation equipment. Negative earnings, P/S is 4.5.

Kemet Corporation (KEM) This company, which trades on the NYSE, manufactures capacitors for electronics original equipment manufacturers, electronics manufacturing services providers, and electronics distributors. Possible connection to fuel cells. P/E 93.75, P/S is .95, and the PEG is 1.3.

Magnetek Inc. (MAG) This New York Stock Exchange company makes and markets digital power electronic product systems and components along with power conditioners for commercial stationary fuel cells. The stock has a forward P/E of 19.1 and a P/S of 1.84.

Manhattan Scientifics Inc. (MHTX.PK) This New York based company is involved in the production of micro fuel cell technology. Earnings have been negative.

Mechanical Technology Incorporated (MKTY) This company is involved in the development of direct methanol fuel cell technology called Mobion, which generates electrical power using methanol as fuel. Earnings have been negative and the PS is 5.6.

Medis Technologies Ltd. (MDTL) This company is involved in the development, production, and selling of direct liquid fuel cell products for consumer and military markets. Negative earnings, P/S is a very high 3,329.

Millennium Cell Inc. (MCEL) This company develops hydrogen batteries comprised of a fuel cell and hydrogen storage technology which is used in portable electronic devices various markets. Negative earnings, P/S of 185.

Neah Power Systems (NPWS.OB) This Bothell, Washington based company develops miniature fuel cells that are used as power sources in laptop computers, cell phones, personal digital assistants, and other portable electronic devices. The stock has had negative earnings.

Pacific Fuel Cell (PFCE.OB) This Tustin, California based nanotechnology company is involved in the development and production of carbon nanomaterial-based membrane electrode assemblies for fuel cells for the portable and micro fuel cell market. The stock has had negative earnings.

Plug Power (PLUG) This company is involved in the production of proton exchange membrane fuel cell and fuel processing technologies. Negative earnings, P/S is 34.3.

Power Air (PWAC.OB) This company develops, makes, and sells fuel cell-based commercial products including the development and commercialization of zinc-air fuel cell [ZAFC] technology. The company has had negative earnings.

Praxair Inc (PX) This NYSE company is involved in the production and distribution of industrial gases around the world. Praxair provides its customers with hydrogen supply for fuel cells. P/E is 24, P/S is 2.85, PEG of 1.75 and the yield is 1.5%.

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide (QTWW) This company produces powertrain engineering, system integration, and manufacturing of packaged fuel systems and specialty equipment for fuel cells, hybrids, alternative fuels, and hydrogen refueling. It also is involved in designing, engineering, and producing hybrid and fuel cell vehicles. Negative earnings, P/S is .68.

Teledyne Tech Systems (TDY) This company, which trades on the NYSE, produces electronic components and instruments, including hydrogen gas generators and thermoelectric and fuel cell-based power sources that are used in power generation plants. P/E is 20.8, P/S is 1.12, and the PEG is 1.4.

United Technologies (UTX) This NYSE company produces technology products and services to the building systems and aerospace industries. They also produce fuel cells for commercial, transportation, and space applications. P/E is 19.8, P/S is 1.5, a PEG of 1.54 and the yield is 1.7%.

UQM Technologies (UQM) This AMEX traded company produces developing electric power systems for battery electric, hybrid electric and fuel cell electric vehicles. The forward P/E of 43.6 and the P/S is 16.6.

ViaSpace (VSPC.OB) This company develops space and defense technologies from NASA and the department of defense, including disposable fuel cartridges for manufacturers of direct methanol fuel cells. Earnings have been negative, P/S is 57.

Zap (ZAAP.OB) This company is involved in development, acquisition, and marketing of electric vehicles and electric vehicle power systems, including a fuel cell vehicle. Earnings have been negative, P/S is 5.42.

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

By Fred Fuld for Stockerblog.com.

$750,000 for a Golf Club Membership

The Bridge Golf Club in the Hamptons is charging $750,000 for a membership, and there is not even a dress code. On top of this, there are the annual dues of $20,000.

Ivanka Trump Stock Index

Components of the Ivanka Trump Stock Index:
TRMP - Named to the Board of Directors
GE - Boardroom judge on The Apprentice on NBC
VIVEF.PK - Vivendi also owns NBC Universal
TWX - Born Rich documentary, purchased by HBO, owned by Time Warner
FCE-A - Worked for Forest City Enterprises
CBS - Appeared on Late Show with David Letterman broadcast by CBS
PG - First appeared on The Apprentice to help judge the Gillette task, a division of Procter & Gamble

To track and to see more details on the Ivanka Trump connection to these stocks, go to Stockpickr.com, and check out the Ivanka Trump Stock Portfolio.

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

Returns:
Ivanka index ended down over 2.4% from where it was three months ago, underperforming the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which was up 11.4%.
The drop in the Ivanka index was primarily due to the drop in the Trump Entertainment stock. Hopefully, the Ivanka index will turn around once she takes a more active role in Trump Entertainment.

Author owns TWX and TRMP.

By Fred Fuld for Stockerblog.com.

Stock Option Trading Tips

These are some tips that I have to keep reminding myself over and over, which I learned first from working as a market maker on the options floor of the Pacific Stock Exchange, then as an individual investor. My biggest problem is holding on for too long.

1. Options are not long term investments. When you have a quick profit, sell.
2. LEAPs are options, and are therefore not long term investments. The premium will continue to decline and they will expire. Therefore, treat as any other option.
3. If an option increases by 25% or more in one day, sell! Don’t wait another day, another hour or another minute for it to go higher. Chances are, whatever drove that spike in price will not be enough to carry it higher the next day.
4. One advantage that investors have over options floor market makers is that investors can place limit orders. Take advantage of that benefit.
5. Another advantage that investors have over market makers is that if they are bidding the same price on an option, investors always have priority. For example, if the market maker is quoting ‘4 bid, 5 asked’ for an option, and you have a limit order on the books to buy at 4, if a market order to sell comes in then your order would be transacted first. (By the way, a market maker trades for his own account, unlike a floor trader who trades for brokerage firms representing orders from individuals and institutions.)
6. Writing naked options can work over long periods of time but eventually you will get burned, and all those long term profits will be wiped out.
7. Never place a market order for an option, unless you need to bail out or jump in immediately based on sudden news.
8. When placing a limit buy order, try placing it slightly above the bid price, so if any market orders come in, your bid will be hit first. For sells, try placing slightly below the asked price. This is especially true for options with wide spreads.
9. If most call options on a particular stock close up at the end of the day and the stock closes down, more than likely the stock will be up the next day. Take advantage of that opportunity by buying the stock in the aftermarket.
10. One other advantage that investors have over market makers is that they don’t have to ‘be at the opening bell’ and ‘be at the exchange’ a minimum number of times per year to comply with exchange requirements. What that means is that you don’t always have to be invested in options. Take a long break from option trading if you need to. There is a time to buy, a time to sell, and a time to do nothing.

By Fred Fuld for Stockerblog.com.

Municipal Bond Forum

If you are a municipal bond investor, you might find the fmsbonds.com Municipal Bond Forum of interest. Recent topics covered include the AMT impact on muni bond holders, tobacco bonds, 'loss' of premium on bonds at maturity, and zero coupon bond taxation.

Hospitals Using Robots for Patients

Some hospitals such as Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, are using videoconferencing robots to visit patients when their real doctor is away. The robot utilizes a built-in camera and microphone. The robots are made by InTouch Technologies, which is a privately held company. InTouch uses Cisco (CSCO), which trades on NASDAQ, for the wireless networks for the robots in the hospitals.

London Stock Exchange Creating Hedge Fund Exchange

The London Stock Exchange (LDNXF.PK), which trades on the Pink Sheets in the United States, has decided to create an exchange for hedge funds and private equity funds, due to the fact that many hedge funds are using other exchanges, primarily in Amsterdam. The exchange in London, which opens in November, will be called the Specialist Fund Market.

Flywheel Stocks: Perpetual Motion Machines?

There are many types of alternative energy stocks such as solar energy stocks, wind energy stocks, fuel cell stocks and ethanol stocks. However, there is a fairly obscure type of alternative energy called flywheel storage energy. Flywheels are rotating disks that are used to store kinetic energy. Flywheels have recently become popular in the Uninterruptible Power Supply [UPS] business for short term power outages and research has been done into its use for automobiles. There are several advantages to the flywheel technology over the lead-acid batteries in UPS’s, including higher efficiency, a longer lifespan, and a smaller size, not to mention the reduction in safety and disposal issues that exist with the lead-acid battery UPS's.

Active Power Inc. (ACPW) which trades on NASDAQ, was founded in 1992 and is based in Austin, Texas. They manufacture and sell power products that are battery free such as their CleanSource UPS, a battery-free uninterruptible power supply utilizing flywheel technology. The company has generated negative earnings but a 7.3% increase in quarterly revenues year over year, with a price sales ratio of 3.82. The company is debt free.

Beacon Power Corp. (BCON), which trades on NASDAQ, was founded in 1997 and is based in Wilmington, Massachusetts. Their primary product is Smart Energy matrix, a flywheel-based energy storage system used by electrical utilities for electric grid regulation. The company has had negative earnings but reported a 36.1% increase in quarterly revenues year over year. This company is debt-free and has a price sales ratio of 125.

RailPower Tech Corp. (RLPPF.PK) is a Canadian based company involved in the development, construction, marketing and sales of specialized energy technology systems for transportation and power generation. Although earnings have been negative, revenues have gone from C$ 2.259 million in 2006 to C$ 25.120 million in 2007, an increase of over 1000%, for the quarter ending March 31.

SatCon Technology Corporation (SATC), which trades on NASDAQ, manufactures and markets technologies and products for electrical power control and conversion, including Rotary Uninterruptible Power Supplies. The company has had negative earnings but a 1.96 P/S ratio. Quarterly revenues were up 9.3%.

Boeing Co. (BA) have been involved in the flywheel business also. Although it has been a small portion of the company's business, they have been working on superconducting flywheel energy storage systems. The P/E is 33, the PEG is 1.16, and the yield is 1.4%.

Picture is from NASA and shows a Magnetically Levitated Flywheel.

Author does not own any of the above.

Olympus is Developing Wireless Eyeglasses Display

Olympus Corp. (OCPNY.PK), which has ADR's which trade on the Pink Sheets in the U.S. is in the process of developing eyeglasses which can project email onto the lenses, and have its own built-in power source. Check out the picture.

Company Announces 1 for 4,000 Reverse Split

Reverse splits are when a company exchanges shares to shareholders giving them fewer new shares in exchange for the old shares existing shareholders own. This is usually done to increase the price of the shares to maintain listing requirements. I've seen 1 for 10 reverse splits, even 1 for 100, 1 for 200, and 1 for 250 shares. But the reverse split of Raven Moon Entertainment, Inc. (RAVI.OB), a producer of family entertainment programs, is the highest I've seen in a long time with a 1 for 4,000 reverse split. What is really interesting is that the new shares are still only trading at a penny a share.

This is not a recommendation, either expressed or implied, of this stock.

Killer Robot Cellphone

A Korean company called Parkoz Hardware, has come out with an interesting concept, a cellphone that can transform in to a robot that shoots bullets! Check out the before and after picture and the video showing the robot shooting bullets.

Wind Power Stocks are Spinning

Some facts about wind power:
1. Wind power generation went up over 300% between 2000 and 2006.
2. It provides 20% of electricity in Denmark.
3. It provides 9% of electricity in Spain.
4. It provides 7% of electricity in Germany.

The following stocks 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, such as General Electric (GE), FPL Group Inc. (FPL), and TXU Corp. (TXU). Some of these stocks should be considered very speculative and none are recommendations.

Alstom (AOMFF.PK) is involved in various types of power segments including gas, hydro, nuclear and wind power through its Ecotecnia division, which is a Spain based producer of turbines. Net income was positive for 2006 versus a loss for 2005, on increased sales revenues for the year.

Americas Wind Energy Corporation (AWNE.OB) manufactures and markets medium sized, 500 - 1,000 megawatt wind turbines for the North American market. During the three months ended April 30, 2007 and April 30, 2006, they did not generate any revenue.

Composite Technology (CPTC.OB) makes and markets renewable and energy efficient electrical products including wind generation turbines under the brand name 'DeWind'. Earnings have been negative.

Gamesa Corp. (GCTAF.PK) is based in Spain, with 18% of the world's share of the wind turbine market. Their net income grew by 48.8% for 2006 over the previous year.

Energias de Portugal (EDPFY.PK) is a Portugal based company which is one of Europe's largest electricity providers and the fourth largest wind power producer in the world. One of its newest divisions is Horizon Wind Energy. Gross profit for the first quarter of 2007 increased by 12.8%, with a 1.8% increase in net profit.

Iberdrola (IBDRY.PK) bought Scottish Power, so it is the world's largest provider of wind power, and the second largest electric utility in Spain.

Kore Holdings (KORH.PK) A power provider and marketer of alternative energy from wind farms, hydro and distributed power facilities. Financial could not be found on their website beyond July 2006.

McKenzie Bay International Ltd. (MKBY.PK) Develops wind powered alternative energy systems. Earnings have been negative, based on latest reported quarter.

Mass Megawatts Wind Power Inc. (MMGW.OB) develops prototype wind energy production equipment. Earnings have been negative, based on latest reported quarter.

Nordex (NRDXF.PK) is a German based wind turbine company. In the first quarter of the current fiscal year, they had a 21 percent increase in sales and earnings increased by 52%.

Tower Tech Holdings Inc. (TWRT.OB) is involved in the engineering, manufacture, and sale of wind turbine extension towers to the wind energy industry. Earnings have been negative, and the P/S ratio is 35.5.

Vestas Wind Systems (VWSYF.PK) is a Denmark based company, which is the world's largest manufacturer of wind turbines. Revenues were up 6.3% for the first quarter of 2007, and earnings went from a loss to a profit for the quarter.

Western Wind Energy (WNDEF.PK) Produces clean renewable electrical energy from over 500 wind turbine generators located in Tehachapi and San Gorgonio Pass near Palm Springs, California. It has been generating negative earnings per share.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com.

Cleanest Energy Possible: Natural Vibrations

British scientists at the University of Southampton have developed a very small generator that will run just on natural vibrations.

Potential uses:
Equipment sensors in manufacturing plants
Air compressors
Pacemakers
Roads
Bridges

Security Bug Auctions

In previous articles, I mentioned that the auction market is on fire. Now, an auction company has been created that will sell off software security problems in an auction format to companies who can do something about the security issues.

Use the Bathroom, Get Free Money

Users of restrooms in Japan have been discovering envelopes containing $82 in cash, along with a hand written note requesting that the finder use the money appropriately. Over $16,000 in cash has been found so far. Sorry Ladies, the money has only been showing up in Men's Rooms.

Google and the Power of Domain Name Typos

There are many domain name investors who try to piggyback on the domain names of famous companies by registering very similar domains that people may accidentally type into their URL address box. What generally pops up is an advertising page.

For example, if you mistype Disney.com, which is owned by the Walt Disney Co. (DIS), and instead type in disnye.com, you end up seeing an advertising page with links to airline flights, travel, and other ads.

If you are looking for the Apple Inc. (AAPL) website, and instead of typing apple.com, you type applee.com, you get a page listing ad links for Apple stores, iPod downloads, etc.

However, what Google (GOOG) has done is register many of the typical typos for google.com, so if you type in any of the following, you would still end up at Google's home page.
goolge.com
gogle.com
googel.com
google.net
google.tv
gppgle.com
googlee.com

A Cowboy Hat for $1,650

At an auction in Paris, France, a Stetson cowboy hat, which was worn by Larry Hagman, the character J.R. in the hit TV show 'Dallas', sold for $1,650. The proceeds of the auction went to purchase medical equipment for sick children.

Geothermal Stocks: Some have been Steaming Hot

One of the alternative energy industries that hasn't received much press coverage is the geothermal group of stocks. Geothermal generation utilizes natural underground heat sources that powers a turbine which turns a generator. The word 'geothermal' comes from the Greek words 'geo', which means 'earth', and 'therme', which means 'heat'. As it turns out, several of these geothermal stocks have been steaming in terms of stock price.

Calpine Corporation (CPNLQ.PK) Founded in 1984, this San Jose based company provides electricity in the United States and Canada through the ownership and operation of its own power generation plants. They own 19 geothermal power plants at The Geysers in California. Earnings have been negative but revenues were up about 27% for the latest quarter.

Constellation Energy Group (CEG). This 1906 electrical generating company owns and operates generating plants and fuel processing facilities utilizing various types of fuel including nuclear, coal, natural gas, oil, solar, geothermal, hydro and biomass. The P/E is 15.8 and the PEG is 1.43. Yield is 2%.

IdaCorp, Inc. (IDA) This holding company owns Idaho Power Company, which is involved in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electric energy primarily in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon. Their electrical generation comes from hydroelectric, natural gas, diesel, coal, and geothermal plants. The P/E is 12.6 and the PEG is 2.92. The stock yields 3.8%.

Nevada Geothermal Power, Inc. (NGLPF.OB) This company explores for and develops geothermal projects in the United States to provide electrical. They own a 100% leasehold interest in the Blue Mountain, Pumpernickel, Black Warrior projects in Nevada and the Crump Geyser Project in southern Oregon.

Ormat Technologies Inc. (ORA) This Nevada based company, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, was founded in 1965. It owns and operates geothermal power plants, selling electricity in the United States, Guatemala, Kenya, Nicaragua, and the Philippines. They also provide products and services to other geothermal power generators. The P/E is 70.2, the PEG is 2.67, and the yield is 0.5%.

PG&E Corp. (PCG) This California-based electric and gas utility serves 5 million customers. Their electrical generation comes from natural gas, nuclear, hydro, coal, geothermal, wind, and several other types of renewable sources. The P/E is 15.6 and the PEG is 2.08. The stock yields 3.2%.

Polaris Geothermal (PGTHF.PK) The company is a developer of renewable energy in Latin America. They are currently developing a 66 MW geothermal project on its San Jacinto Tizate concession in Nicaragua.

Raser Technologies (RZ) This Utah based company trades on the New York Stock Exchange Arca exchange, and founded in 2003, develops high performance electric motor and controller technology. In addition, it has secured geothermal rights to certain Nevada properties owned by Truckee River Ranches, LLC, under the terms of a 50-year lease agreement. Earnings have been negative.

Sierra Geothermal Power Corp (SRAGF.PK) This is a developer of renewable power from geothermal sources. They have investments in 15 geothermal projects located in Nevada and California.

US Geothermal Inc. (UGTH.OB) This Boise based company, founded in 2002, is involved in the development of geothermal energy power plants in the Raft River area of Idaho. Earnings for the latest quarter were negative.

Western GeoPower Corp (WGPWF.PK) The company develops geothermal energy projects. They own the Unit 15 Steam Field located in The Geyser Geothermal Field in California and in the South Meager Geothermal Project in British Columbia, Canada.

WFI Industries (WFILF.PK) This Fort Wayne, Indiana company is development and manufacture of geothermal heating and cooling systems, for both residential and commercial customers. The P/E is 35.5.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld for Stockerblog.com.