The Underwear Stock Market Indicator

Did you know that if men aren't buying new underwear, then we may not be recovering from the recession yet, although we may have hit bottom. Alan Greenspan is a believer in the Underwear Stock Market Indicator. Although the bottom may be behind us, hopefully we won't have any more cracks in the economy, and we can looks to the rear, and see that it was a buying opportunity.

Thanks t0 TradingGoddess, who posted this info on Twitter. (I am on Twitter now, so you can read my twits, tweets, or whatever you call them.)

Who Wants to be a Trillionaire !

Now that the inflation rate of Zimbabwe has exceeded 231,000,000% (that's the official rate, some economists believe that it is 89,700,000,000,000,000,000,000%), the country has been issuing $100 trillion dollar bills! Therefore, if you own one of these bills, you are technically a trillionaire (in Zimbabwe dollars). These bills, which are available from antiquestocks.com, would make great Birthday Card stuffers. Turn your friends and relatives into trillionaires!

Stocks Going Ex Dividend during the first part of June

If you want to try the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends,' which is the technique of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend, there are many stocks to choose from. This technique generally works only in bull markets.

When you buy dividends, there are many stocks in many different sectors to choose from. In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can't sell the stock until after the ex date. The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork has compiled a free downloadable and sortable Excel list of the stocks going ex dividend during the last half of May. They came up with over 40 companies all with market caps over $500 million. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date and the yield:

Avery Dennison Corporation AVY 6/1/09 6.20%

Genuine Parts Company GPC 6/3/09 5.04%

H&R Block, Inc. HRB 6/8/09 4.29%

Shaw Communications Inc. SJR 6/11/09 4.42%

Hillenbrand, Inc. HI 6/12/09 4.42%

If you like dividend stocks, you should check out the high yield utility stocks and the Monthly Dividend Stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com. For more details on dividend definitions, check out definitions of dividend dates. Don't forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.

Author doesn't own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Belmont Stakes Portion of Triple Crown in Two Weeks

In just a couple weeks, the third portion of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, will be held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Mine That Bird won the Kentucky Derby and Rachel Alexandra won the Preakness. Only eleven horses have ever won all three segments of the Triple Crown, and none since 1978. Did you know that Chrysler was the sponsor of the Triple Crown from 1987 to 1993, and VISA (V), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, was the sponsor from 1998 to 2005. If you missed my article on horse racing and racehorse stocks, you should check it out.

Also, if you are looking for a free downloadable horse race analyzer, go to horse-tip.com.

By Stockerblog.com

Bernie Madoff's Autograph Bounces Back Up

Previously, I wrote about how a Bernard Madoff signed stock certificate was up for sale on eBay for $100,000. Then the price dropped down to only $1,000. Now the Bernie Madoff signed stock certificate is being sold for $25,000.

Tax Free Income Stocks

Concerned about taxes? Looking for income? Check out tax free income stocks. There are many stocks, which are primarily closed end funds, which pay dividends that are tax free. This tax free income is generated from municipal bonds in the portfolio.

Municipal bonds are issued by states, counties, cities, and other governmental agencies. Income from those bonds is exempt from Federal income taxes, and if the bonds are issued in your state of residence, the income is exempt from state income taxes also. Municipal bonds issued by Puerto Rico and other U. S. dependencies are exempt from state income taxes also for residents of most states. There are over 200 different tax free income stocks according to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, many of which yield over 8%.

One of the highest yielding tax free stocks is Pioneer Municipal High Income Advantage Trust (MAV), which yields 9.2% from its portfolio of both investment grade and below investment grade municipal bonds and notes. Its governmental agency bonds include airport, education, healthcare, insurance, pollution control, tobacco, transportation, utilities, housing, water, and industries. They have been paying monthly dividends since 2003.

If you live in California, you might want to consider the Van Kampen California Value Municipal Income Trust (VCV) which yields 8.4%. They mostly invest in California investment grade municipals. The fund was founded in 1992 and pays dividends monthly.

Van Kampen also has a high yielder for Massachusetts residents, the Van Kampen Massachusetts Value Municipal Income Trust (VMV), which pays 6.9%. The fund invests in Massachusetts municipals including bonds for education, general purpose, and water and sewer. They have paid monthly dividends since 1995.

There is also their Van Kampen Pennsylvania Value Municipal Income Trust (VPV), which yields 7.0%. This holder of Pennsylvania municipal securities has been paying monthly dividends since 1995.

For you New Yorkers, there is the BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust (BNY) which pays 7.6%. It invests in New York education, hospitals, housing, pollution control, tobacco, transportation, and water and sewer bonds. It has paid quarterly dividends since 2001.

You can download a free Excel database spreadsheet list of over 200 tax free stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. Keep in mind that both yields and share prices fluctuate, and there is the possibility of bonds in the portfolios defaulting.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Women of Wall Street

If you re planning on being in New York City in June, check out the 'Women of Wall Street" exhibit at the Museum of American Finance. The opening reception will feature Muriel Siebert, the first woman to purchase a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, on Tuesday, June 9 from 5:30 pm to 7 pm. The Museum is located at 48 Wall Street in Manhattan.

Triple Crown Horse Racing Stocks

Now that we are in the midst of the Triple Crown, the most famous series of horse races, and a filly just won the Preakness for the first time in 85 years, investors are taking a closer look at race horse horse racing related companies. The following are some of the stocks involved in the horse racing industry.

Churchill Downs Inc. (CHDN), the home of the legendary Kentucky Derby, owns several racetracks, off-track betting facilities, and Churchill Downs Simulcast Productions. Their P/E is 23, with a yield of 1.3%.

Canterbury Park Holding Corp. (CPHC) operates year-round pari-mutuel wagering on simulcast and live horse races, along with track concessions and a card club, at the Canterbury Park Racetrack in Minnesota which it owns and operates. The stock has a P/E of 60. This is a low cap stock and should be considered speculative.

Dover Downs Gaming & Entertainment Inc. (DDE) owns Dover Downs Raceway, a harness racing track with pari-mutuel wagering. The company has a P/E of 10 and pays a yield of 3.4%.

Magna Entertainment Corp. (MECAQ.PK) owns several horse racetracks and off track facilities. This is a very low cap stock and should therefore be considered very speculative.

MTR Gaming Group Inc. (MNTG) owns racetracks in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Earnings have recently been negative. This is a low cap stock and should be considered speculative.

Penn National Gaming Inc. (PENN) owns racetracks and off-track wagering facilities in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ontario. Earnings have recently been negative.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

General Motors Registers Two Domain Names

In anticipation of a possible bankruptcy, General Motors (GM) has registered two domain names in April: gmrestructuring.com and gm-restructuring.com.

Guest Article: APPLE vs RIMM ... battle of the tech titans

APPLE vs RIMM ... battle of the tech titans

It is the battle of the tech titans as both RIMM and APPL battle for the smartphone market share. Although Research In Motion is a well established tech giant as the creator of the BlackBerry, they may have hit a wall with Apple, Inc.'s launch of the
phenomenally popular iPhone.

This tech battle may create a way to trade these markets with a lower risk. During this latest rally, RIMM did not perform well, nor were the changes in price as exuberant as the shares for AAPL.

I am looking for the general market to show weakness through the next week... with that said, I expect to see RIMM slide faster than AAPL. It may be conservative trading strategy to buy Apple and short Research In Motion. Take an equal amount of money for each market and buy a corresponding number of shares to balance the positions and decrease risk.

This is what I call "pair trading." You're looking for the percentage change in the market between RIMM and APPL to move in Apple's favor no matter which direction APPL or RIMM head.

In my new short video, you will learn why I came up with this strategy and why it may offer a low-risk trade in the current market environment.

As always, the videos are free to watch and there is no requirement for registration.

All the best,

Adam Hewison
President, INO.com
Co-creator, MarketClub

Stocks Going Ex Dividend During the last half of May

If you want to try the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends,' which is the technique of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend, there are many stocks to choose from. This technique generally works only in bull markets.

When you buy dividends, there are many stocks in many different sectors to choose from. In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can't sell the stock until after the ex date. The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork has compiled a free downloadable Excel list of the stocks going ex dividend during the last half of May. Here are a few examples:

Blackstone (BX) 5/27/09 yield: 9.5%

Hawaiian Electric (HE) 5/19/09 yield: 7.3%

Great Plains Energy (GXP) 5/27/09 yield: 5.9%

If you like dividend stocks, you should check out the high yield utility stocks and the Monthly Dividend Stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com. For more details on dividend definitions, check out definitions of dividend dates. Don't forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.

Author doesn't own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Free Viagra from Pfizer

The large pharmaceutical company, Pfizer (PFE), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, has announced that it would issue free Viagra to those who lost their jobs and their health insurance. They will also give out some of their other prescription drugs, such a Lipitor, for free as part of the same offer.

Author owns PFE.

Steve Jobs Tearing Down his House

Steve jobs, founder of Apple Inc. (AAPL) will be tearing down his 17,000 square foot mansion, which has 14 bedrooms, after getting approval from the Woodside City Council in California. Jobs will be building a much smaller 6,000 square foot home on the lot with an estimated cost to build of $8.2 million.

Visa Testing New Coded Credit Card with Buttons on the Back

VISA (V) is testing a new type of credit card which has buttons on the back, that allow the consumer to type in a password code. This is expected to help cut down on fraud.

Intel Hit with Huge Fine

Intel (INTC) was just hit with one of the largest fines ever issued by the European Commission for anti-competitive practices. The fine is expected to be about $650 million. Remember, you heard it here first.

Dirty Refrigerator Causes Evacuation and HazMat Cleanup at AT&T Building

Workers at an AT&T (T) building in San Jose, California had to evacuate, and seven of them had to go to the hospital, all because of a dirty fridge. Apparently, someone had left some old food in the refrigerator, and the fridge had been unplugged. Lucky for the woman who discovered the moldy food, she couldn't smell a thing because of her allergies.

Can Debt Free Selling At Cash Stocks Beat the Dow? Up 29% in Two Months

Back in March, WallStreetNewsNetwork.com produced a free downloadable Excel spreadsheet database of Debt Free Stocks Selling At Or Near Cash. These are stocks which have virtually no debt and are trading at the amount of cash the company has per share. The reasoning behind choosing such stocks is that without any debt and a lot of cash, it would be hard for the companies to go out of business. In addition, the cash can make the companies takeover candidates.

If you take a look at the 17 stocks on the list, which shows the trading price as of March 4, 2009, and compare those prices to the close as of today, May 12, you would discover that every stock on the list was up and the average percentage increase was 29%, versus 23% for the Dow and 27% for NASDAQ. If you had chosen the right stocks, such as optionsXpress Holdings (OXPS), you would have had an increase of 74%. Other strong examples include Teradyne Inc. (TER) up 49%, and Riverbed Technology (RVBD) up 72%.

Other free downloadable Excel databases at wsnn.com include High Cash No Debt High Yield Stocks, No Debt Low Price To Cash Flow Stocks, and Stocks Selling Below Cash Per Share.

Author does not own any of the above stocks.

By Stockerblog.com

Marks and Spencer Bra Pricing a Bust

Marks and Spencer (MAKSF.PK), the publicly traded British retailer, generated a big uproar and protest when it raised the price of bras that are larger than DD size. The company received around 13,000 protests online. M&S finally gave in on Friday and said that they would keep the larger size bras price the same as all the other bras. Marks and Spencer primarily trades in London, but occasionally trades in the United States on the Pink Sheets.

Autism Jumps 1148% in California

Yes, that's not a typo. According to a recent report from the State of California Department of Developmental Services, "From 1987 to 2007, the number of people with ASD [Autistic Spectrum Disorders] grew 1,148 percent, significant when compared to increases of 73 percent for cerebral palsy, 66 percent for epilepsy, and 95 percent for mental retardation. During this same period, California’s general population grew 27 percent."

Fortunately, there are several publicly traded pharmaceutical companies are trying to make a difference by discovering and producing drugs for treating autism related disorders and symptoms.

Risperidal, developed and distributed by Janssen Pharmaceutica, a division of the New York Stock Exchange traded company Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), is an antipsychotic medication that is used in lower doses to treat autistic disorders and has FDA approval for use of the drug for symptomatic treatment of irritability in autistic children and teenagers, since 2006. The stock has a PE ratio of 12 and pays a yield of 3.6%.

Prozac, with the chemical name fluoxetine hydrochloride, is made by Eli Lilly and Company (LLY), also traded on the NYSE, and has been approved by the FDA for both obsessive compulsive disorder and depression in autistic children age 7 and older. The company has a forward PE of 9 and pays a yield of 5.7%.

Ritalin and the time-release drug, Concerta, is a Methylphenidate drug which, although generally used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD, and attention-deficit disorder, or ADD, has also been prescribed for children with autism. It is produced by the company Novartis AG (NVS), the ADR of which trades on the NYSE; however, the generic version of the drug far outsells Ritalin. The stock has a PE ratio of 11 and pays a yield of 4.6%.

Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a division of Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which is a subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (TEVA), is a manufacturer of Adderall XR, an extended-release drug which is used to help with attention and focus problems, and behavior issues of individuals with autism. Teva has a PE of 57 and a yield of 1.1%.

Shire plc (SHPGY) makes Adderall XR, an extended-release version of the drug. The stock has a PE of 38 and a yield of 0.3%.

When I wrote about autism stocks back in 2007, I reviewed a couple autism related books which may be worth checking out. They are The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant. For an Excel database of high yield drug stocks that can be downloaded, changed, and sorted, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Author has a nephew who is severely autistic and does not own any of the above stocks.

By Stockerblog.com

Rumor of the Day: Apple Buying Twitter

According to KCBS radio, there is a rumor spreading around Silicon Valley that Apple (AAPL) will be buying Twitter. Many tech and stock experts wonder why, if the rumor is true.

Author owns AAPL.

First Insider Trading Case Involving Credit Default Swaps

News Release from the SEC:

SEC Charges Hedge Fund Manager and Bond Salesman in First Insider Trading Case Involving Credit Default Swaps

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2009-102

Washington, D.C., May 5, 2009 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged Renato Negrin, a former portfolio manager at hedge fund investment adviser Millennium Partners L.P., and Jon-Paul Rorech, a salesman at Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., with insider trading in credit default swaps of VNU N.V., an international holding company that owns Nielsen Media and other media businesses.

The SEC's complaint alleges that Rorech learned information from Deutsche Bank investment bankers about a change to the proposed VNU bond offering that was expected to increase the price of the CDS on VNU bonds. Deutsche Bank was the lead underwriter for a proposed bond offering by VNU. According to the SEC's complaint, Rorech illegally tipped Negrin about the contemplated change to the bond structure, and Negrin then purchased CDS on VNU for a Millennium hedge fund. When news of the restructured bond offering became public in late July 2006, the price of VNU CDS substantially increased, and Negrin closed Millennium's VNU CDS position at a profit of approximately $1.2 million.

"This is the first insider trading enforcement action involving credit default swaps," said Scott W. Friestad, Deputy Director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement. "As alleged in our complaint, Rorech and Negrin checked their integrity at the door and schemed to engage in insider trading of CDS to the detriment of investors and our markets."

James Clarkson, Acting Director of the SEC's New York Regional Office, added, "CDS may still be obscure to the average individual investor, but there is nothing obscure about fraudulently trading with an unfair advantage. Although CDS market participants tend to be experienced professionals, there must be a level playing field with even the most sophisticated financial instruments."

The case was handled by the SEC Enforcement Division's Hedge Fund Working Group, which is investigating fraud and market manipulation by hedge fund investment advisers. The SEC has brought more than 100 cases involving hedge funds in the past five years, including more than 20 this year alone. The SEC already has brought more enforcement actions involving hedge funds in the first four months of this year than all of last year.

The SEC's complaint charges Negrin and Rorech with violations of the antifraud provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and seeks a final judgment ordering them to pay financial penalties and disgorgement of ill-gotten gains plus prejudgment interest. Millennium has agreed to escrow the amount that the SEC is seeking as ill-gotten gains pending a final judgment in this case.

The Commission acknowledges the assistance of the U.K.'s Financial Services Authority. The Commission's investigation is ongoing.

CFTC: Ready for Trading in Carbon Markets

News Release from the CFTC:

Commissioner Bart Chilton Says Obama “Right on Target”

Regulator Ready for Trading in Carbon Markets

Washington, DC - Just weeks before discussions will convene on the trading and regulation of carbon markets in the United States, Commissioner Bart Chilton, chair of the CFTC’s Energy and Environmental Markets Advisory Committee (EEMAC), praised President Obama’s comments today regarding the trading of carbon as a commodity.

“The President is right on target,” said Chilton, “and our agency is standing ready to oversee the trading of derivatives in these critically important markets, to ensure the safety and soundness of all such activity.” Chilton stressed the need to protect consumers, enable businesses to operate more efficiently, and benefit the environment. “The CFTC has a longstanding history of federal regulation of derivatives trading—from monitoring exchange activity to ensuring financial responsibility to carrying out disciplinary and enforcement actions—and we need to get this right. It is too important to our economy, to individuals, and to the world not to.”

Commissioner Chilton noted the agency’s successful oversight of emissions trading relating to sulfur dioxide, and the positive effects those related emissions programs have had on the environment. “You don’t even hear anyone talking about acid rain anymore,” he noted, “and it is my hope and expectation that we can achieve a similar success with other greenhouse gas emissions products.”

Chilton will chair a meeting of the EEMAC on May 13, 2009 in Washington, at which issues relating to carbon emissions trading are expected to be addressed.

Guest Article: The Gold Market

Today we're going to take a look at the gold market. While many traders have been frustrated with this market for the past several months, it has in fact performed quite well given the generally negative feeling for most markets.
While the printing press is going at full-tilt in the US and the fact that most people are not involved in the gold market at the present time, it occurs to us that this market could indeed be setting itself up for a nice rally.

In our new video, I explain in detail some key levels to watch for in the gold market. If these levels are broken then you definitely want to take a position in the direction of the major trend.
As always, this video is available with our compliments and there is no registration required.

All the best,
Adam Hewison
President, INO.com
Co-creator, MarketClub

Stocks Selling Below Cash

WallStreetNewsNetwork.com recently came out with a list of stocks selling below their cash per share. However, with the roaring bull market, many of these stocks have already moved up but are still trading at close to cash per share. Here are some examples of stocks with a low price to cash ratio.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MTU) has over $24 in cash per share yet sells for less than $6 per share.

Sadia S.A. (SDA), the Brazilian frozen foods company, has over $23 in cash per share yet sells for $6 per share.

Discover Financial Services (DFS, which issues the Discover credit card, has over $18 in cash per share and sells for less than $9 per share.

Liberty Media Capital (LCAPA), which produces and distributes movies and videos, has over $27 in cash per share yet sells for about $12.50 per share.

For a downloadable Excel database of about 60 stocks selling below cash, go to wsnn.com.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Supermodel Gisele Still Outperforms the Dow Jones Industrial Average

Gisele Bündchen, who was named by Forbes Magazine as the top earning supermodel and Guinness World Records said that she is now the richest supermodel in the world. In 2007, I developed the Gisele Bundchen Stock Index, which contained the stocks of companies that Gisele is connected with, such as being the celebrity spokesperson. At the time, her index was outperforming the stock market. I have updated the index to the present time, and noticed that Gisele has continued to outperform the Dow Jones Industrial Average significantly.

The stocks in her portfolio include:
Volkswagon (VLKAY.PK)
Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. (RL)
Vivo Participacoes (VIV)
News Corp. (NWS-A)
Sony (SNE)
Procter & Gamble (PG)
Disney (DIS)

Although the Gisele Index was down by 15.7% since the beginning of 2007 to the present, it far outperformed the Dow Jones Industrial Average which was down over 30% during that same time frame.

Other celebrity stock indexes you may be interested in include the Heidi Klum Stock Index, the Eva Longoria Stock Index, the Angelina Jolie Stock Index, the Jessica Alba Stock Index, the Nicole Kidman Stock Index, the Freida Pinto Stock Index, and the Supermodels Stock Indices.

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

Author owns DIS.

By Stockerblog.com