Top Yielding Electric Utilities

When the stock market drops or gets choppy, there is a flight to conservative high income investments. Recently, I had written an article about monthly dividend stocks, although many of them might be considered risky. Electric utilities, in spite of the fact that a few have run into rough patches, are considered by many investors to be safer than other stocks. Although consumers may cut back on buying new clothing or consumer products or go out to eat less during a recession, most people will continue to pay their electric utility bill. Here are some of the highest yielding electric utility stocks.

One of the highest yielding utilities is Great Plains Energy Inc. (GXP), the Kansas City Missouri based utility which yields 6.5%. Their electrical generation comes from coal, nuclear, natural gas, oil, and wind power. They serve western Missouri and eastern Kansas. The stock has a PE of 14 and a PEG of 2.7.

Another high yielding utility is Progress Energy Inc. (PGN), which yields slightly less than 6%. This Raleigh, North Carolina utility serves North Carolina, South Carolina, and parts of Florida. 30% of their electrical generation comes from coal, and 35% from oil. The stock has a PE of 21 and a PEG of 2.28.

Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (PNW), the southwestern utility, has a yield of 5.9%. This Phoenix, Arizona based company generates its electricity from coal, natural gas, oil, nuclear, and solar power. The stock has a PE of 12 and a PEG of 3.75.

Empire District Electric Co. (EDE) is based in Joplin, Missouri and yields 5.9%. They serve Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. 43% of their electrical generation comes from coal, and 26% from oil. The stock has a PE of 20 and a PEG of 2.57.

Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED) yields 5.7% and serves parts of New York, New Jersey Pennsylvania. The stock has a PE of 12 and a PEG of 3.94.

You can track these stocks at Stockpickr.com. You can download an Excel spreadsheet of all the electric utilities and their dividends, which you can sort, change, and add to, at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Weird Real Estate

The world's tallest wooden house, a wooden sphere home, a house that was built upside down, and a floating castle are just some of the weird looking houses that have been built and people actually live in many of them.

Stockerblog Written Up in Money Magazine

Stockerblog.com's creation of the Gisele Bündchen Stock Index was written up in the May 2008 issue of Money Magazine. This index was developed around the various companies that the Brazilian supermodel has served as celebrity spokeswoman for.

Speaking of iPhones, they May Cause Allergies

The chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Stony Brook University has said that Apple (AAPL) iPods and cell phones may cause various types of allergies. Reactions can include contact dermatitis and skin rashes.

Use Your iPhone as a Remote?

The latest rumor going around is the you will soon be able to use the Apple (AAPL) iPhone or iPod as a universal remote. This app, called iControl, will allow you to connect wirelessly to various audio-visual sources.

Top Green Week Stocks

The 'green' category encompasses a lot of industries, including solar energy stocks, it can include fuel cell stocks, there is wind power, there are ethanol stocks, and even geothermal companies. Since it is Green Week, here are some of the top alternative energy stocks in various industries.

First Solar, Inc. (FSLR) is the leader in thin film semiconductor technology. This Phoenix, Arizona makes and markets a thin layer of cadmium telluride semiconductor material. The stock has a PE of 1.42 and a PEG of 2.42.

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. One of the major players in hydrogen fuel cells is Air Products and Chemicals (APD) They market various types of gasses worldwide.

Air Products 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 19, a PEG of 1.37, and is one of the few fuel cell related stocks that pays a dividend, generating a yield of 1.8%.

Wind power generation went up over 300% between 2000 and 2006. Zoltek Companies Inc. (ZOLT) is a St. Louis based company which is a supplier of carbon fiber for windmill blades. Their customers have included DeWind and Vestas, the world's largest manufacturer of wind turbines. The stock has a PE of 140 and a PEG of 0.66.

Ethanol has been used in the United States as fuel since 1840 as lamp fuel. The Andersons (ANDE) is involved in the management of ethanol production facilities and grain and ethanol trading. The stock has a P/E of 12, a PEG of 1.28, and a yield of 0.7%. If you want an Excel list of all the stocks related to ethanol in some way, with financial data such as PE ratios and yields, which can be sorted and changed, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Geothermal generation utilizes natural underground heat sources that powers a turbine which turns a generator. Ormat Technologies Inc. (ORA) is a 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 69, the PEG is 1.94, and the yield is 0.4%.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld for Stockerblog.com.

Tanzania: First Commercial Wind Farm in Africa

The first commercial wind farm in sub-Saharan Africa will be built in Tanzania. The farm will have 24 turbines that will generate 50 megawatts of power. This represents almost 10% of Tanzania's power requirements.

Wikipedia Goes Low Tech

Random House, the publishing division of Bertelsmann in Germany, is planning to publish Wikipedia, the world's most popular encyclopedia, in printed book form. In September, it plans to publish "The One-Volume Wikipedia Encyclopedia".

Who Owns GooglePoo.com?

There are a LOT of domains that Google (GOOG) owns: sexogoogle, gmailsucks, gmailblows, porngoogle, googleporn, gooooooooooooooooooogle, and many others which I would rather not put in my blog. I guess Google wants to control everything Google, or they are overly concerned about cybersquatters. Google trades on NASDAQ.

McDonalds Gets Fashion Designer Makeover

McDonald's Corp. (MCD), is getting a Fashion Designer Makeover in England. The new clothing is designed by Bruce Oldfield, designer for Catherine Zeta Jones. The workers are now wearing mocha and black polo shirts and baseball caps. This move to enhance the image of the staff took a lot of trial and error.

An Investment in Craigslist

Craigslist, the very popular online ad site, is a privately owned company. However, eBay (EBAY) owns a portion of the company, so if you own eBay, you own a part of Craigslist. Craigslist was just sued by eBay because it "unfairly diluted eBay's economic interest by more than 10%". No other information has been released.

Author owns EBAY.

Depressed About Stocks? How about Anti-Depression Drug Stocks?

In the United States, approximately 14 million adults per year are affected by depression, and according to the World Health Organization, depression causes the suffering of an estimated 121 million people throughout the world and is expected to become the second leading cause of disability worldwide by the year 2020. With these numbers, the demand for antidepressants is expected to grow significantly

Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY) has the eighth best selling drug, Zyprexa, used to treat schizophrenia, and has a patent expiration of 2011. It also has Cymbalta for treating depression. Lilly has a PE of 19, a PEG of 1.81, and a yield of 3.6%.

Forest Laboratories Inc. (FRX) has the drug Lexapro, also known as Cipralex which expires in 2012. The drug is an antidepressant used to treat depression and anxiety disorders. The stock has a PE of 23, and a PEG of 1.1.

AstraZeneca plc (AZN) has Seroquel, an antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia and the 16th best selling drug, expires 2011. The stock has a PE of 11, a PEG of 2.77, and pays a yield of 4.6%.

Wyeth (WYE), the pharmaceutical company based in New Jersey, manufactures Effexor, the brand name for Venlafaxine, used to treat depression and anxiety disorders. This drug, which was the 13th best selling pharmaceutical, first got approved in December 1993. The stock has a PE of 13, a PEG of 3.01, and a yield of 2.6%.

Pfizer Inc. (PFE) has Zoloft, the brand name of Sertraline, which is used to treat depression and anxiety disorders. The drug got approval December 1991. The stock has a PE of 18, a PEG of 2.03, and has a 6% yield.

Glaxosmithkline plc (GSK) produces Wellbutrin, used for the treatment of depression and seasonal affective disorder. The drug got approval in August 2003. It also has Paxil, also known as Seroxat, for depression. The stock has a PE of 12, a PEG of 4.21, and a yield of 5.6%.

Author owns PFE.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

The Wall Street Watch

How would you like a watch that shows the opening hours of the world's major stock markets? It is called the ww.tc, which stands for world wide time control, and is made by Girard-Perregaux. You can get this automatic winding watch in pink gold or steel. Price is approximately $15,000.

Paypal will be Inaccessible with Old Browsers

If you are still using Microsoft (MSFT) Internet Explorer 3 or 4, and apparently a lot of people still are, you might not be able to access your Paypal account in the future. Paypal, which is owned by eBay (EBAY), said that is plans to block "unsafe browsers" in order to cut down on phishers, which go after users' sensitive confidential data.

Bond.com is For Sale

GreatDomains just began this month’s live Premium Auction Event of domain names, powered by Sedo, and will close on Thursday, April 24th, at approximately 2:00 EST. If you are looking for business and investment related domain names, here are some that they are selling:

bond.com
issued.com
loanadvice.com
onlinetrade.net
onlinequotes.com
trusts.com
livingtrusts.com
americanmarkets.com
investmentstocks.com
americanbonds.com
americanequities.com
annuityfund.net
germanstocks.com

Bond.com is currently bid at $66,666 and has had eleven bidders so far.

Looking for a Strange Gift? How About Game Boy Boots

An inventor has come out with Game Boy Boots, with Game Boys strapped to them. They come in bright blue or very high heel shocking pink! Speaking of pink, Game Boys are made by Nintendo (NTDOY.PK), which trades on the Pink Sheets in the United States. Who would buy these things?

How Would You Like to Pay Microsoft a Monthly Fee?

Microsoft (MSFT), which trades on NASDAQ, is coming out with a new software and service package called "Albany" which the consumer would have to pay a monthly fee for. It sounds like a good idea from a business standpoint, but from a reality standpoint, with all the backlash the company received from its Vista operating system, and even the flack about all the changes that were incorporated in Office 2007, it will be very difficult for the company to get a lot of takers.

Top Selling Books on Stocks for April

The best selling books relating to the stock market, according to Amazon.com (AMZN) are:

Jim Cramer's Real Money: Sane Investing in an Insane World

The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing

Technical Analysis from A to Z, 2nd Edition

The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns (Little Book Big Profits)

How To Make Money In Stocks: A Winning System in Good Times or Bad, 3rd Edition

Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street

Reminiscences of a Stock Operator (Wiley Investment Classics)

Trading in the Zone: Master the Market with Confidence, Discipline and a Winning Attitude

Technical Analysis of Stock Trends

Stock Investing For Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance))

Finance, Energy, and the Environment Exhibit

If you will be in the Wall Street area of Manhattan in New York City next week, you should check out the Finance, Energy & the Environment: Changing Markets & Opportunities Exhibit at the Museum of American Finance at 26 Broadway on Thursday, April 24. The exhibit will recognize the the convergence between the environment and the financial markets. For more information, you can go to financialhistory.org.

Top 52 Week Low Stocks

Usually when stocks hit a 52 week low, there is usually a reason for the price to be at that level. However, occasionally you may be able to find gems in the junk. Jim Cramer said that you should only consider a stock that hits a 52 week low if there is significant insider buying and a favorable balance sheet. Here is a list of New York Stock Exchange stocks, all of which are recently trading at their lows that may be worth taking a closer look at.

Western Refining Inc. (WNR) is an independent crude oil refiner and marketer of oil products which just closed at a 52 week low. The stock has had 17,485 shares purchased by insiders, and no insider sellers in the last 6 months. Also, the company has a 1.8 current ratio. It has a PE of 3.3, a PEG of 1.23, and a yield of 2%.

RLI Corp. (RLI) is a property and casualty insurance company. The stock has had 11 purchases and one sale by insiders during the last six months. The company has a 0.165 debt to equity ratio. RLI has a PE of 7, a PEG of 0.99, and a yield of 1.8%.

Reynolds American Inc. (RAI) is a cigarette manufacturer which has the CAMEL, KOOL, PALL MALL, DORAL, and CAPRI brands. The company has a .6 debt to equity ratio and a 1.28 current ratio. $782,000 of stock has been purchased by insiders during the last couple months. The stock has a PE of 13, a PEG of 1.98, and a yield of 5.9%.

Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC), the aerospace and electronics company, is another stock that hit a 12 month low. The company has had over $700,000 indirect non-open market insider transactions since the beginning of March. They have a 0.225 debt to equity ratio and a current ratio of 1.05. The stock has a PE of 14, a PEG of 0.8, and a yield of 2.1%.

Leggett & Platt Inc. (LEG) is a designer and manufacturer of engineered components. It has had numerous insider purchases and direct acquisitions during the last few months amounting to over $1 million. The stock is selling at close to its 12.64 book value. The company has a 2.3 current ratio. The PE is 12, the PEG is 1.91, with a 7% yield.

Lee Enterprises Inc. (LEE) is a publisher of daily and weekly newsletters. The stock is selling for way below its book value of 23.52. There has been insider purchasing amounting to $135,000 recently. The stock has a PE of 6, a 2.65 PEG, and an 8.1% yield.

GLG Partners, Inc. (GLG), the subject of recent negative news, is a hedge fund sponsor and money manager. One officer of the company paid about $500,000 for 38,670 shares in March. They have a 2.9 current ratio. The stock has a PE of 39, and a 0.98 PEG. The yield is 1%.

Boyd Gaming Corp. (BYD) owns and operates 15 casino entertainment facilities located in various states. The stock is selling close to its book value of 15.78. In the last couple month, insiders have purchased about $550,000 of stock. The stock has a PE of 5, a PEG of 0.6, and a yield of 3.5%.

These stocks can be tracked at Stockpickr.com.


Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Poland Stocks

Some trivia about Poland:

1. It is the ninth largest country in Europe.
2. It is ranked 24th in the world in terms of Gross Domestic Product.
3. It is ranked 39th in the world for Human Development Index.
4. GDP grew by 6.1% in 2006.
5. Between 2007 and 2010, the Polish government plans to privatize twenty companies through IPO's.
6. Their unemployment rate dropped six percentage points between 2006 and 2008.
7. Poland produces the Leopard car.

Here are some Polish stocks which trade in the United States.

Central European Distribution Corp. (CEDC) although based in Pennsylvania, produces and distributes vodka, beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages in Poland. The brands that they import include Carlo Rossi Wines, Remy Martin Cognac, Guinness, Sutter Home wines, Grants Whiskey, Jagermeister, E&J Gallo wines, and Jim Beam Bourbon. The stock has a PE of 32 , and a PEG of 1.07 .

Agora SA (AGOXF.PK) is a Polish media company which publishes daily newspapers, magazines and periodic print media, and occasionally trades on the Pink Sheets. The stock has a net profit margin is 7.53% .

Bank BPH SA (BBPHF.PK) is a Polish bank holding company which trades on the Pink Sheets. The have a network of 200 branches, 3200 automated teller machines The stock has a negative return on average equity.

KGHM Polska Miedz (KGHMF.PK) is a Polish mining company, which mines for copper, silver, gold, lead, sulfuric acid, and rock salt. The stock has a net profit margin is 26.47% .

Polski Koncern Naftowy ORLEN (PSKZF.PK) is a manufacturer and distributor of refined petrochemical products. The stock has a net profit margin is 3.31% .

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Planning Your Summer Vacation? Go Where the Dollar Buys More

If you are thinking of travelling outside the United States this summer, you may want to about the typical vacation countries where the dollar is weak, such as England, France, Germany and Italy. Check out the countries where the dollar is stronger, such as Argentina and Costa Rica.

How to Make an SEC Disclosure without making a Full Disclosure

Footnoted.org recently published an interesting article, called Julie Chen avoids the Katie Couric rule, about how CBS Corp. (CBSA) 'disclosed' the connection of Julie Chen, an anchor on CBS Networks’ The Early Show, who also happens to be the wife of the CBS CEO Leslie Moonves. It says that her compensation is comparable without saying what her compensation is.

A Visual Online Dictionary: Check This Out!

If you are a visual person and opposed to a textual person, you will probably like this online dictionary called Visuwords.com. Check it out. Type 'Stock Market' in the search box and see what happens. If you really want to see something interesting, type the word 'bull' in the search box and see how it shows definitions and word correlations.

If what you see on your screen is too small to see, one thing you can do, at least with Internet Explorer, is to hold down the Control key and and scroll the scroller on your mouse (if you have a scroller wheel).

Top Condensed List of Monthly Dividend Stocks

With this market volatility, more and more investors are turning to high dividend payers, and preferably ones that pay monthly to help reduce the volatility and accelerate the return of capital. In addition, baby boomers who are looking to retire are also looking for stocks that pay dividends monthly. The following are a few of the top 49, culled down from the list of over 350 monthly dividend stocks.For purposes of this article, closed end funds and oil income trusts are considered stocks.

One of the highest yielding monthly dividend stocks is Harvest Energy Trust (HTE), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange and yields 15.3%. Harvest is a Canadian Oil Income Trust, which explores for and produces petroleum and natural gas in western Canada. They generated negative earnings of 18 cents per share for the latest quarter. Harvest has been paying dividends since July 2005.

Another monthly dividend payer is Lehman Brothers First Trust Income Opportunity Fund (LBC), a closed end fund which invests in high yield bonds and other debt securities. It has a yield of 11.4% and have been paying dividends since September of 2003. They generated negative earnings of 8 cents per share for the latest quarter.

The highest yielding convertible bond closed end fund that pays monthly is Calamos Convertible & High Income Fund (CHY), which yields 11.3%. The stock has a P/E of 8 and has paid dividends since August of 2003.

Gladstone Investment Corporation (GAIN) is a private equity fund which specializes in buyouts and recapitalizations. They trade on NASDAQ and yield 10.8%. They have a P/E of 15 and a PEG of 2.09. They have been paying dividends since July 2005.

If you want an Excel list of all the top 49 monthly dividend paying stocks which can be downloaded, sorted, and changed, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. There are also plenty of monthly dividend stocks which pay a tax-free yield.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Speaking of Copper: High Price Causing Casualties

You have probably been reading in the news that copper stealers are out in droves, going after copper pipes and copper wire, especially in foreclosed homes, due to the very high price of copper these days. However, copper robbing is risky business. Several people have gotten electrocuted trying to steal copper and one man even caught on fire.

Bad Joke: Copper Wire

Copper Wire:

After having dug to a depth of 10 yards last year, New York scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.

Not to be outdone by the New Yorkers, in the weeks that followed, California scientists dug to a depth of 20 yards, and shortly after, headlines in the LA Times newspaper read: 'California archaeologists have found traces of 200 year old copper wire and have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than the New Yorkers.'

One-week later, "The Express News,' a local newspaper in Texas reported the following: After digging as deep as 30 yards in corn fields near Austin, Bubba Johnson, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely nothing. Bubba has therefore concluded that 300 years ago, Texas had already gone wireless.

Russian Stocks

Russia has a strong growing economy and as a BRIC stock, is one of the four horsemen for worldwide investment opportunities, along with the 'B' in BRIC, Brazil, the 'I' in BRIC, India, and the 'C' in BRIC, China. Russian stocks have become so popular that some alcoholic drinks are named after Russian stocks. The following are companies that are based in Russia that trade either on the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ.

Mechel Open Joint Stock Company (MTL) is a mining and steel production company. The stock has a PE of 22 , and a PEG of 4.55 .

Mobile Telesystems OJSC (MBT) is a provider of cellular telecommunications services in Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. The stock has a PE of 18 , and a PEG of 1.01 .

Rostelecom OAO (ROS) is a provider of domestic and international long-distance telecommunications services. Earnings for the last reported quarter were up 177%.

Vimpel-Communications (VIP) is a provider of wireless telecommunications services in Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Georgia, and Armenia. The stock has a PE of 22 , and a PEG of 0.7 . They pay a yield of 0.8%.

Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods OJSC (WBD) is a food, dairy, and beverage products company. The stock has a PE of 35 , and a PEG of 0.7 .

CTC Media, Inc (CTCM) is a Moscow based company that operates television networks. The stock has a PE of 32 , and a PEG of 0.76 .

You can find information on Ukraine stocks and Kazahkstan stocks in previous articles.

Author does not own any of the above. Picture is courtesy of the Kremlin Presidential Press and Information Office.


By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Who Makes More Money: Indra Nooyi or Warren Buffett?

If someone were to ask you who makes more money in terms of their annual compensation package, Indra Nooyi or Warren Buffett, and you guessed Buffett, you would be wrong. Indra Nooyi, the CEO of PepsiCo (PEP), earns 81 times more than Warren Buffett, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A), in spite of the fact that he is the world's richest man, according to Forbes Magazine. Nooyi earned $14.74 million last year, whereas Buffett earned only $180,000.

Is the Pink Sheets Company Planning to Go Public?

The quotation and trading company of many ADR's and many low priced stocks, Pink Sheets LLC, recently reported that they have changed their name to Pink OTC Markets Inc. They are switching from a Delaware limited liability company to a Delaware corporation. Does this mean a possible IPO may be on the horizon? Is Pink planning to go public? After all, almost $40 billion dollars of Pink Sheets and OTCQX stocks, bonds, and warrants were traded in the first quarter of 2008, according to their latest news release.

A Parable: Ford versus Toyota

This is a story about Ford (F) and Toyota (TM) that just turned up in my email box, but I think it may have been floating around the web for a while.

A Parable

A Japanese company (Toyota) and an American company (Ford) decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race.

On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile.

The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action.

Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the American team had 8 people steering and 1 person rowing.

Feeling a deeper study was in order, American management hired a consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion.

They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing.

Not sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to prevent another loss to the Japanese, the rowing team's management structure was totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 3 area steering superintendents and 1 assistant superintendent steering manager.

They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 1 person rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the 'Rowing Team Quality First Program,' with meetings, dinners and free pens for the rower. There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses.

The next year the Japanese won by two miles.

Humiliated, the American management laid off the rower for poor performance, halted development of a new canoe, sold the paddles, and canceled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the Senior Executives as bonuses and the next year's racing team was out-sourced to India

Sadly, The End.

Here's something else to think about: Ford has spent the last thirty years moving all its factories out of the US, claiming they can't make money paying American wages.

TOYOTA has spent the last thirty years building more than a dozen plants inside the US.

The last quarter's results:

TOYOTA makes 4 billion in profits while Ford racked up 9 billion in losses.

Ford folks are still scratching their heads.

Ferrari Shaped Cellphone

Yes, that's right, you can now get a cell phone that looks like a fancy Ferrari automobile. Just don't use it when you drive.

How Many Computer Viruses Are There?

How many computer viruses are there? The one million milestone has been reached. The virus detection software company, Symantec (SYMC), has reported that there are now 1,000,000 viruses, one half of which came out during the previous twelve months.

Another Airline Goes Bankrupt

Another airline has gone belly up, this time Oasis Airlines, based in Hong Kong. They are now in liquidation according to the CEO.

The Google Yahoo Partnership

Yahoo (YHOO) and Google (GOOG) are going to be trying an experiment whereby advertising space would be shared. Some believe that Yahoo is doing this to thwart Microsoft's (MSFT) takeover offer.

Finally, a Replacement for Microsoft Vista

Because of the extensive unhappiness with the Microsoft (MSFT) Vista operating system by both businesses and consumers, Microsoft has decided to come out with Windows 7, a Vista replacement, and it may appear next year. The complaints about Vista were so pervasive that Microsoft decided to extend support for Microsoft XP, the previous operating system. When Vista first came out, Dell (DELL) stopped selling XP and offered computers with only Vista, and no other options. However, reportedly Dell gave in and started giving buyers the XP option.

Let's hope that Windows 7 is better than Vista.

Now the IMF is Having Problems: It's Selling Off Its Gold!

You might think that the International Monetary Fund is exempt from financial problems. Not true. The IMF needs cash, and the best way to raise it is by selling of some of its gold, about $6 billion worth. This sale of their gold represents about 12% of their holdings. They are taking advantage of the fact that gold is selling around $1000 an ounce.

A $2 Million Pizza

Someone paid $2.6 million for a pizza, a pizza domain name, that is. In a Sedo.com auction of domain names, the recent top selling domain was pizza.com. The man who put it up for auction originally paid $20 for the name.

Blogging May Be Hazardous to Your Health

Excessive blogging may cause severe medical problems, or even death. According to an article in the New York Times, two prolific bloggers, Russell Shaw and Marc Orchant, have died and one has had a severe heart attack. The article calls blogging the "digital-era sweatshop". Medical conditions experienced by many bloggers also include sleep disorders and severe weight changes.

Sovereign Wealth Fund Investments

There is much controversy and criticism with regards to investments in United States bonds and stocks by sovereign wealth funds. These funds are government operated investment accounts which invest in the assets of other countries. These assets can include government bonds, stocks, and real estate. The concerns are the lack of transparency and the possible abuse of control of the investments, especially relating to certain countries such as China, Russia, and the Middle Eastern states.

The Treasury Department estimates that there is as much as $2.5 trillion in sovereign wealth fund assets. The following are some of the major sovereign investments in American and European stocks.

The China Investment Corporation made a $3 billion investment in the Blackstone Group (BX), the private equity and investment advisory company. China Investment Corporation, which was featured on 60 Minutes on Sunday night, has about $200 billion in assets. Blackstone has a PE of 13, a PEG of 1.04, and a yield of 6.8%.

China also took a 9.9% interest, amounting to $5 billion, in the large investment firm Morgan Stanley (MS). The stock has a PE of 29, a PEG of 0.69, and a yield of 2.2%.

China's State Administration of Foreign Exchange, which may be considered a competitor to the China Investment Corporation, took a 1.6% interest, costing $1.8 billion, in Total SA (TOT), the French oil and gas company. The stock has a PE of 8, a PEG of 1.91, and a yield of 4.1%.

The Kuwait Investment Authority, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, and the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation have investment interests in Citigroup Inc. (C). The stock has a PE of 34, a PEG of 1.71, and pays a yield of 5.3%.

The Korea Investment Corporation, Singapore's Temasek, and the Kuwait Investment Authority have invested the convertible preferred stock of Merrill Lynch (MER). Merrill has a forward PE of 8, a PEG of 1.45, and a yield of 3.1%.

Barclays plc (BCS), the British banking and financial services company, is partially owned by China Development Bank and Singapore's Temasek. The stock has a PE of 7, a PEG of 0.66, and a yield of 8.9%.

The Qatar Investment Authority's Delta Two Fund has more than a 25% ownership in J Sainsbury (JSAIY.PK), the British supermarket chain.

Temasek owns 12% of Standard Chartered (SCBFF.PK), the British banking company.

The London Stock Exchange (LDNXF.PK), one of the oldest surviving stock exchanges in the world, is 23.8% owned by the Qatar Investment Authority. The stock has a PE of 22.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Pharmaceutical Stocks and their Patent Expiration Drugs

The next two to four years are an important time frame for many pharmaceutical companies. It is when many of the top selling drugs go off patent. Here is a list of the large pharmas with some of their top selling drugs that are set to 'expire'.

AstraZeneca plc (AZN) has the cholesterol drug Crestor, which is set to go off patent in the year 2012. This was recently ranked the 42nd best selling drug. They also have the asthma drug, Symbicort, expires the same year. Their Seroquel, an antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia and the 16th best selling drug, expires 2011. The stock has a PE of 11, a PEG of 2.77, and pays a yield of 4.6%.

Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY) has the eighth best selling drug, Zyprexa, used to treat schizophrenia, and has a patent expiration of 2011. They also have Actos for Type 2 diabetes which goes off patent the same year. Lilly has a PE of 19, a PEG of 1.81, and a yield of 3.6%.

Forest Laboratories Inc. (FRX) has the drug Lexapro, also known as Cipralex which expires in 2012. The drug is an antidepressant used to treat depression and anxiety disorders. The stock has a PE of 23, and a PEG of 1.1.

Glaxosmithkline plc (GSK) has the asthma drug Advair, also known as Seretide which expires in 2010, and the diabetes drug Avandia expiring 2012. The stock has a PE of 12, a PEG of 4.21, and a yield of 5.6%.

Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ) antibiotic drug, Levaquin, goes off patent in 2010. The stock has a PE of 18, a PEG of 1.99, and a yield of 2.5%.

Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) has the asthma drug Singulair , which expires in 2012, and Cozaar for hypertension expiring 2010. The stock has a PE of 27, a PEG of 1.21, and a yield of 4%.

Novartis AG (NVS) has the Zometa cancer drug and the Diovan hypertension drug, both expiring 2012. The stock has a PE of 10, a PEG of 1.22, and a yield of 2.9%.

Pfizer Inc. (PFE) has Lipitor for cholesterol, estimated to expire 2010, Aricept for Alzheimer’s, expiring 2010, and Xalatan for glaucoma, going off patent 2011. The stock has a PE of 18, a PEG of 2.03, and has a 6% yield.

Both Sanofi-Aventis (SNY) and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (BMY) have Aprovel for high blood pressure expiring 2011, and the anticoagulant Plavix, expiring the same year.

Author owns PFE.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Google Sued for Street View Privacy Invasion

Google (GOOG), which trades on NASDAQ, is being sued by a couple in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for showing a 'street view' of their house on Google's map feature. They are claiming it is an invasion of privacy and causing them mental stress. They want more than $25,000 in damages and elimination of the pictures.

Canadian Politician Calls the Penny a Nuisance

A Canadian politician is calling the Canadian penny, the one cent coin, a nuisance, and wants it eliminated. He said that it is costing around ten times the value of the penny to produce each one.

A nickel for your thoughts?

Artificial Nose Hair Business? Sounds Pretty Gross

Geneva Switzerland is hosting the International Exhibition of Inventions, and some of these inventions are awfully strange. An example is the artificial nose hair, which is designed for people with nasal allergies that want to block pollen from getting into their sinuses. The artificial hair is removable and cleanable, of course. It was invested by a U.S. based physician who said that the majority of people need more nose hair.

Other interesting inventions from the convention include an alarm clock on wheels that you have to chase around the room to turn it off, and a gender email analyzer that tells you whether the person you are corresponding with is a man or a woman.

How Do I Invest in Ford, Let Me Count the Ways

The Ford Motor (F) stock should certainly be considered a speculation, with the U.S. economy in a probable recession and the price of a barrel of gas above $100. The company just announced that they are reducing costs by merging their global vehicle development operations and purchasing operations. Although their revenues were up 9.5% for the latest quarter, the diluted earnings per share were a negative $1.38 per share.

However, there are other ways of investing in Ford besides the Ford common stock. There is the Ford Motor Capital Trust II 6.50% Cumulative Convertible Trust Preferred Securities due January 15, 2032 (F-PS). These securities trade on the New York Stock Exchange and provides quarterly payments.

There are also the CorTS Trust II Ford Notes 8.00% Corporate Backed Trust Security Certificates (KVU). CorTS stands for Corporate-backed Trust Securities. These pay $1 per share semi-annually.

In addition, there are the Certificate of Trust Ford Debentures Corporate Backed Trust Securities 7.40% (KSK). These securities pay semi-annually, similar to a bond.

Ford Motor Company 7.5% Notes (F-PA). These securities pay quarterly, similar to a preferred stock.

There is also the long name Lehman 8% Corporate Backed Trust Certificate Ford Motor Company Note-Backed Series 2003-6, Class A-1 (XVF) security. This pays $1 per share semi-annually.

A way of investing in the Ford Credit division is Ford Motor Credit Co. LLC 7.6% notes due March 1, 2032 (FCJ). This division provides automobile financing through auto dealers throughout the world.

Another series of Ford Credit Notes is the Ford Motor Credit 7.375% Notes (FCZ), due October 15, 2031. As the previous notes, these also trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

Please note: the above stock symbols are in the Yahoo Finance format; brokerage firms may use a different format (e.g. F-PS versus F-S).

Author owns F.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

100,000% Inflation Rate + Election Dispute = Rising Stock Market

The African country of Zimbabwe has had runaway inflation recently calculated at 100,000%. They are also experiencing an election dispute with the loss of President Robert Mugabe. Throw in extreme poverty and a mass exodus of its citizens. Put them all together and what do you get? A rising Zimbabwe stock market for the third day in a row. The Zimbabwe industrial average was up 11% and the mining index was up 25% on Tuesday.

Pipes Worth More than the House

A recent article by Reuters described how some houses in various parts of the country, including Massachusetts and Ohio, have copper pipes worth more than the value of the house. The situation has gotten so bad that looters are breaking into foreclosed homes, just to steal the pipes. Some houses had to have signs posted saying that they only have PVC pipes, in order to deter intruders.

Sleep in Airplane Overhead Luggage Bin for $12

WestJet Airlines (WJAVF.PK), which trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Pink Sheets, has issued a press release saying that passengers can now get small sleeper cabins in the overhead luggage bin for a reasonable price of only $12. This second largest Canadian airline has made this offer as part of an April Fool's joke.

Raise Taxes, Get Banned From Bars

The British treasury chief, Alistair Darling, raised taxes on alcohol, much to the dismay of English drinkers and pub owners. The pub owner in Darling's hometown banned Darling from the establishment as a sign of protest. Other pubs around the country followed suit.

Makes you wonder what would happen if this kind of protest spread to the United States. Banning politicians from buying gas for a gas tax increase? Not selling homes to politicians who raise real estate taxes? Refuse to handle stock transactions for politicians who want to raise capital gains taxes?

Dealing with a Loud Bluetooth Talker

Have you ever been sitting next to a loudmouth who seems to think that he needs to talk loudly in order to be heard on his Bluetooth headset? Larry David, co-creator of the popular Seinfeld TV show, has come up with a way of dealing with these loud-talkers.