Dragon Flyers in China: An Incredible Video

What a way to end the year with an amazing video about the Dragon Flyers in China. These guys make sky divers, bungee jumpers, mountain climbers, and hang gliders look like merry-go-round riders. The action starts one minute and twenty seconds into the video, so watch at least the first couple minutes to see what the dragon flyers are.

Chinese Scenes from BASE-Book - Matt Gerdes on Vimeo.

Obviously, the video has nothing to do with stocks, bonds, or investments, but I thought you would enjoy it.

Stocks Liked by both Warren Buffett and Renaissance Technologies

Everyone knows who Warren Buffett is, top investor and trader and either the richest, second richest, or third richest man in the world, depending on what day of the year it is. One technique that investors use is piggybacking on Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B) portfolio. Yet Buffett owns over thirty stocks in the portfolio of Berkshire Hathaway, according to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. So what is an investor to do?

Investors can look at what top hedge funds are investing in, and compare that list to Buffett's stocks. One of the top hedge funds is Renaissance Technologies, founded in 1982 and run by James Simons. Renaissance's Medallion fund was the most profitable hedge fund with profits of over $1 billion in 2009. Also, the Medallion Fund has had an average annual return after fees of 35% since 1989. Renaissance charges the highest fees in the industry with a management fee of 5% and a profit participation of 44%.

Now lets look at the stocks that are preferred by both Berkshire Hathaway and Renaissance Technologies. Both own Intel (INTC), the world's largest semiconductor chip maker by revenues. The stock trades at ten times forward earnings and pays a decent yield of 3.5%. Latest quarterly earnings were up 17.4% on a 28.2% rise in revenues.

Another stock in common is Procter & Gamble Co. (PG), known for such brands as Head & Shoulders, Olay, Gillette, Mach3, Crest, Oral-B, Iams, Pringles, Dawn, Downy, Duracell, Gain, Tide, Bounty, Charmin, and Pampers. The stock has a forward price to earnings ratio of 14.6 and provides investors with a yield of 3.2%. Revenues for the latest quarter were up 8.9%, but earnings were down 1.9%.

Buffett and Simons also own Costco (COST), the third largest retailer in the United States. The stock trades at 19 times forward earnings and yields 1.1%. Latest quarterly earnings were up 2.6% on a 12.4% increase.

One more stock owned by both: General Dynamics Corp. (GD). The stock has a favorable forward PE of 9 and pays a yield of 2.9%.

And of course, Renaissance Technologies owns shares of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B).

If you want to see a free list of the stocks owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author didn't own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Huge Titanic Artifact Auction

The publicly traded company, Premier Exhibitions Inc. (PRXI), will be auctioning off the 5,000 artifacts salvaged from the Titanic, the famous ship that sank on April 15 one hundred years ago. Guernsey's, based in New York, will be auctioning off the items. The latest appraisal from a few years ago, was set at $189 million.

Disclosure: Author owns PRXI. PRXI is a very low cap stock and should be considered very speculative.

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Second Week of January 2012

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends'. This is the process 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. This technique generally works only in bull markets. In flat or choppy markets, you have to be extremely careful, and may need to avoid the technique during those times.

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.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend during the next week or two. The list contains many dividend paying companies, all with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the market capitalization, the ex-dividend date and the yield.

Abbott Laboratories (ABT) market cap: $86.7B ex div date: 1/11/2012 yield: 3.5%

Empresa Nacional de Electricidad (EOC) market cap: $12.0B ex div date: 1/11/2012 yield: 7.5%

Harsco Corporation (HSC) market cap: $1.7B ex div date: 1/11/2012 yield: 4.0%

Methode Electronics Inc. (MEI) market cap: $311.3M ex div date: 1/11/2012 yield: 3.3%

Shaw Communications Inc. (SJR) market cap: $8.2B ex div date: 1/11/2012 yield: 4.7%

Consolidated Communications Holdings Inc (CNSL) market cap: $570.8M ex div date: 1/11/2012 yield: 8.0%

Saul Centers, Inc. (BFS) market cap: $701.0M ex div date: 1/12/2012 yield: 4.0%

Camden National Corporation (CAC) market cap: $253.8M ex div date: 1/12/2012 yield: 3.1%

Corus Entertainment Inc. (CJREF) market cap: $1.6B ex div date: 1/12/2012 yield: 4.3%

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found at wsnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn't show up, you may have to empty your cache.) 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.

Dividend definitions:

Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend.

Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend.

Monthly Dividend Stock List
Record date: the day when you must be on the company's books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks two business days before the record date.

Payment date: the day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date.

Don't forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

The Water Business is an Old Business: Water Stocks with Long Histories

American Water (AWK) is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Actually, the transportation of water is an extremely old business. The Assyrians built a 50 mile long limestone aqueduct in the 7th century BC, which carried water through a valley to Nineveh, their capital. It measured about 30 feet high and almost 1000 feet wide.

American Water is a New Jersey based company that provides drinking water and wastewater services to 30 states and 2 Canadian provinces. The stock trades at 17 times forward earnings and pays a yield of about 3%. The current annual dividend rate is 92 cents per share, up from 68 cents per share for the previous year, a 35% increase. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 10.7% on a 2.3% increase in revenues.

Middlesex Water Co. (MSEX) is another water utility that has been around for over a century, as it was founded in 1897. The company primarily serves New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. The stock has a forward price to earnings ratio of 19, which is a bit on the high side, however, it pays a generous yield of 4%. The company just raised its dividend on November 10. Earnings were down over 10% for the latest quarter.

WallStreetNewsNetwork.com just updated its free list of dividend paying water utility stocks, which shows the PE, the forward PE, the price to earnings growth ratio, and the yield.

Disclosure: Author didn't own any of the above at the time the article was written.
By Stockerblog.com

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the First Week of January 2012

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends'. This is the process 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. This technique generally works only in bull markets. In flat or choppy markets, you have to be extremely careful, and may need to avoid the technique during those times.

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.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend during the next week or two. The list contains many dividend paying companies, all with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the market capitalization, the ex-dividend date and the yield.

Brandywine Realty Trust (BDN) market cap: $1.3B ex div date: 1/3/2012 yield: 6.5%

Mack-Cali Realty Corp. (CLI) market cap: $2.4B ex div date: 1/3/2012 yield: 6.8%

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) market cap: $66.0B ex div date: 1/3/2012 yield: 3.7%

Village Super Market, Inc. (VLGEA) market cap: $404.2M ex div date: 1/3/2012 yield: 3.5%

CubeSmart (CUBE) market cap: $1.3B ex div date: 1/3/2012 yield: 3.1%

Cellcom Israel Ltd. (CEL) market cap: $1.7B ex div date: 1/3/2012 yield: 17.0%

Superior Industries International Inc. (SUP) market cap: $447.6M ex div date: 1/4/2012 yield: 3.9%

SYSCO Corporation (SYY) market cap: $17.1B ex div date: 1/4/2012 yield: 3.7%

Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI) market cap: $5.9B ex div date: 1/6/2012 yield: 3.9%

General Mills, Inc. (GIS) market cap: $26.0B ex div date: 1/6/2012 yield: 3.0%

Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) market cap: $111.2B ex div date: 1/6/2012 yield: 5.1%

WGL Holdings, Inc. (WGL) market cap: $2.3B ex div date: 1/6/2012 yield: 3.6%

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found at wsnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn't show up, you may have to empty your cache.) 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.

Dividend definitions:

Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend.

Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend.

Monthly Dividend Stock List
Record date: the day when you must be on the company's books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks two business days before the record date.

Payment date: the day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date.

Don't forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Thinking About Year End Tax Issues? How About Tax Free CEFs?

Tax free stocks are technically closed end funds or CEFs that own municipal bonds which pay tax free interest. There are risks of course like any investment, such as a potential (or in my opinion certain) rise in interest rates, which would cause the price of the shares to drop. Plus many CEFs use leverage to obtain higher yields.

But there are many advantages besides that tax free income feature. Almost all of these CEFs pay dividends monthly, whereas, if you by an individual bond, the interest is paid semi-annually. CEFs have no minimum investment, whereas bonds are sold in $5,000 denominations and many brokers have minimum purchases ranging from $15,000 to $25,000. You also have better liquidity with CEFs as prices are quoted real time and quotes are immediately available on the Internet. CEFs provide diversification through a group of bonds in the portfolio.

Municipal bonds pay interest that is exempt from Federal taxes and may be exempt from state taxes if issued in the state you live in or issued by one of the US territories, such as Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, or Guam. Munis are generally issued by states, counties, cities, and other governmental entities such as school districts, sewer districts, bridges, and water and power departments.WallStreetNewsNetwork.com just recently updated over 150 of these tax-free income CEFs, and more than 100 providing yields in excess of 5%.

One example, appropriate for New York residents, is Nuveen New York Investment Quality Municipal Fund Inc. (NQN) which seeks to provide current income exempt from regular Federal and New York State and City income tax, and pays a fairly high yield of 6.2%. However, it does use leverage, to the tune of 38%, to achieve its high yield. The fund trades at about a 3% discount to net asset value, also referred to NAV, at the time of writing. The management fee of 0.68% is below the overall average of all tax free CEFs. It has been paying dividends since 1990. Slightly less than 10% of the bonds in the portfolio are subject to the alternative minimum tax, also referred to as AMT.

California residents might want to take a look at the Nuveen California Municipal Value Fund Inc. (NCA), which doesn't use any leverage to achieve its 5.0% yield, free of Federal and state income taxes. It currently trades at an 8.3% discount to NAV, and carries a reasonable 0.57% management fee. The CEF, which has been around since 1987, has about 8.5% of its portfolio in AMT bonds.

For a CEF that is diversified nationwide, there is the Federated Premier Intermediate Municipal Income Fund (FPT), which seeks to provide current income exempt from federal income tax, including AMT. The fund yields 5.6% and has no AMT bonds in the portfolio. It is trading at a 1.9% discount to net asset value. Leverage is quite high at 40% but the management fee is a reasonable 0.46%. Income has been paid since 2002.

Another option is the Western Asset Municipal Partners Fund Inc. (MNP), yielding 5.2%, and trading at a 5.6% discount to NAV. Leverage is at 37%, and the CEF carries a management fee of 0.82%, slightly above the average. The CEF has been around since 1992.

The issues to watch out for with tax free CEFs:
* high leverage
* high management fees
* trading at a premium to NAV
* bonds in the portfolio that may be subject to the Alternative Minimum Tax
* quality of bonds in the portfolio

For a list of tax free income closed end funds, which includes yields, discounts and premiums, leverage, management fees, date founded, and other information, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Natural Gas Fueling Stations Popping Up Around the Country: Check Out Gas Stocks

It had to happen sooner or later. Natural gas is considered a much cleaner fuel than petroleum. Now a company called NCI is building natural gas fueling stations in Lee County, Florida for the general public and businesses. The fist will be a service station near Southwest Florida International Airport. Earlier this year, the city of North Little Rock built its first condensed natural gas fueling station, which is open to the public. Consumers, businesses, and governments are gradually making the shift, which should increase demand for natural gas.

There are many publicly traded companies involved in the distribution of natural gas, to both homes and businesses, and over 15 over them have yields in excess of 3%. For example, Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO) is involved in the distribution, transmission, and storage of natural gas. This Dallas, Texas based company, which was founded in 1906, trades at 13 times forward earnings and pays out a very favorable yield of 4.2%. Dividends on an annual basis increased from 1.37 to 1.38 per share. Earnings for the latest quarter were up an incredible 27.6% on a 1.4% revenue increase.

Another high yielder is Spectra Energy (SE) transports and stores natural gas for customers in various regions of the northeastern and southeastern United States, plus the Maritime Provinces and the Western Provinces in Canada. The company, based in Houston, trades at 16 times forward earnings and boasts a yield of 3.8%. Latest quarterly earnings were up an amazing 28.9% on a 10.2% rise in sales.

Other natural gas companies worth taking a closer look at include Northwest Natural Gas (NWN) at a 3.8% yield, WGL Holdings Inc (WGL) paying 3.7%, and Sempra Energy (SRE) at 3.6%. You can access a free list of over 25 natural gas companies, along with their financial data, at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author didn't own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Electric Utility Dividend Increasers

Some of the electric utilities have been declaring dividend increases this month. A couple examples are Oklahoma City based OGE Energy Corp. (OGE) boosted its annual dividend by 4.7% and Edison International (EIX), which serves southern California, recently bumped up its quarterly dividend by 1.56%

OGE provides electrical generation to Oklahoma and western Arkansas. It also owns over 5,900 miles of intrastate natural gas gathering pipelines. The stock trades at 16 times current earnings and 15 times future earnings, and provides a yield of 3.0% based on its increased payout. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 9.6% on a 7.7% increase in revenues. The company is currently subject to a proposed rate increase hearing by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission's Public Utility Division. The company is asking to raise its rates by about $73 million.

Edison International has a price to earnings ratio of 13 and a forward PE of 15. Based in the dividend increase, the stock yields 3.3%. Revenues grew by 5.1% for the latest quarter, however earnings dropped 16.5%. In September of this year, FBR Capital initiated coverage of the company giving it and Outperform rating and Wunderlich upgraded the stock from a Hold to a Buy. This Rosemead, California company has 700 distribution substations located throughout California. It has four wind projects under construction totaling 480 megawatts of net generating capacity.

Top features of electric utilities include the fact that they can generally provide relative security, safety, and stability compared to stocks in many other sectors, due to the payment of fairly high dividends. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com just updated its free list of electric utility stocks and there are more than 20 with yields greater than 3%.

Disclosure: Author did not not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Fifth Week of December

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends'. This is the process 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. This technique generally works only in bull markets. In flat or choppy markets, you have to be extremely careful, and may need to avoid the technique during those times.

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.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend during the next week or two. The list contains many dividend paying companies, all with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the market capitalization, the ex-dividend date and the yield.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AJG) market cap: $3.3B ex div date: 12/28/2011 yield: 4.5%

AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (AVB) market cap: $11.2B ex div date: 12/28/2011 yield: 3.0%

BancFirst Corporation (BANF) market cap: $500.2M ex div date: 12/28/2011 yield: 3.3%

Boardwalk REIT (BOWFF) market cap: $2.3B ex div date: 12/28/2011 yield: 3.6%

General Growth Properties, Inc (GGP) market cap: $12.2B ex div date: 12/28/2011 yield: 3.1%

Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW) market cap: $20.6B ex div date: 12/28/2011 yield: 3.4%

National HealthCare Corporation (NHC) market cap: $488.4M ex div date: 12/28/2011 yield: 3.4%

TransCanada Corporation (TRP) market cap: $27.3B ex div date: 12/28/2011 yield: 4.1%

B&G Foods, Inc. (BGS) market cap: $983.6M ex div date: 12/28/2011 yield: 4.5%

Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. (APD) market cap: $16.2B ex div date: 12/29/2011 yield: 3.0%

Raytheon Company (RTN) market cap: $14.9B ex div date: 12/30/2011 yield: 4.0%

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found at wsnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn't show up, you may have to empty your cache.) 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.

Dividend definitions:

Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend.

Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend.

Monthly Dividend Stock List
Record date: the day when you must be on the company's books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks two business days before the record date.

Payment date: the day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date.

Don't forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Greatest Card Trick Ever

Funny Corporate Mergers for the Christmas Season

Harken Energy (HKN) + Herald National Bank (HNB) + Fallen Angels Income Fund (FAINX) + Singapore Fund (SGF) = Hark, Herald, Angels, Sing

Deckers Outdoor Corp. (DECK) + The 9 Limited (NCTY) + Hallmark Financial Services (HALL) = Deck, The, Hall

Little Bank Inc. (LTLB.OB) + Towne Bank (TOWN) + Bethlehem Steel = Little, Towne, Bethlehem

Joy Global (JOY) + Two Harbors Investment Corp. (TWO) +
The World Series of Golf, Inc. (WSGF.PK) = Joy, Two, The World

For more stock market jokes, go to InvestmentTrivia.com.

Farm Your Tax Losses Time

If you have lots of capital gains this year (and if you do, you must be doing pretty well), and need to reduce your tax exposure, consider liquidating the stocks you are holding at a loss, especially if you don't think they will be rising soon. Don't forget the Wash Sale Rule:

A wash sale occurs when you sell or otherwise dispose of stock or securities (including a contract or option to acquire or sell stock or securities) at a loss and, within 30 days before or after the sale or disposition, you:

Buy substantially identical stock or securities,

Acquire substantially identical stock or securities in a fully taxable trade, or

Enter into a contract or option to acquire substantially identical stock or securities.

You cannot deduct losses from wash sales unless the loss was incurred in the ordinary course of your business as a dealer in stock or securities

Just remember: You need to talk to your accountant or tax advisor about any tax issues and questions before doing any tax selling.

How to Pan for Gold on the Streets of New York City

This video is pretty incredible. It shows how one guy makes a living by prospecting for gold on the sidewalks of New York. This guy is hundred percent genuine.

New Book by Timothy Ferriss Available for Pre-Order

Timothy Ferriss, author of the books The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich and The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman is coming out with a new book, that can be pre-ordered now through Amazon. The book is a follow-on to the 4-Hour series, and is called The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life.

Ferriss's books have been extremely popular and number one best sellers. Last year, I wrote a very extensive review of the 4-Hour Workweek book. It first came out in 2007, yet it is still in the top 500 of all books, and the number one best seller in the category of 'job hunting and careers - guides'. Over 85% of the reviewers gave the book four or five stars.

I really enjoyed both of his books and am looking forward to the The 4-Hour Chef

Stock Stocking Stuffers

Remember the Magic 8 Ball? Now there is one for investors.
Wall Street Guru Ball

Something to rest on top of your stock certificates:
Executive Gift Stock Market Wall Street Bull and Bear Silver Plated Sculpture Figurines Paperweights

Something to hang on your wall.
Wallmonkeys Peel and Stick Wall Decals - Stock Market Quotes

A great way of keeping track of your appointments. (This is one of my favorites.)
Stock Trader's Almanac 2012

Many Cord Blood Companies Experiencing Double Digit Growth

A report called 'Capitalizing on Opportunities in Cord Blood Industry Growth' was just released by MarketResearch.com, which describes how a certain sector of blood banks are experiencing a very fast growth rate, ranging from 17% per year to 25% per year. The 201 page report is available for download for $3,995. This industry has got the attention of billionaires, such as Richard Branson, of Virgin Records and Virgin Atlantic Airways fame. He created Virgin Health, a cord blood bank.

So what is cord blood? Cord blood is blood that comes from the umbilical cords of babies, and contains a significant amount of hematopoietic stem cells. Specialized cord blood banks store this blood. Cord blood stem cells are considered far superior to stem cells from bone marrow. Cord blood of a baby is preserved in the event it may be needed at some point in the future for treatment of the cancer or genetic disease of the child or the child's siblings. Many diseases have been treated with cord blood. Information on cord blood and how it is collected, stored, and used, is available at CordBloodStocks.com.

Investors have two options when investing in this industry. They can own the stocks of the cord blood banks or own the companies that use cord blood to develop cures and produce extraction and storage products. One that falls into the second category is PerkinElmer, Inc. (PKI), which owns ViaCell, a Cambridge, Massachusetts company which sells ViaCord, a product which is used to preserve baby's umbilical cord blood. They also research and other therapeutic uses of umbilical cord blood-derived and adult-derived stem cells. The stock trades at 10 times forward earnings and pays a decent yield of 1.5%.

Baxter International Inc. (BAX) makes blood collection bags for umbilical cord blood and develop adult stem-cell therapies. They also own a patent for assembling and methods to process cord blood in a sterile fashion to avoid exposure to bacterial contamination and to disburse the introduction of cryopreservation solution into cord blood at a desired rate, thereby avoiding damage or trauma to the cord blood cells. The stock has a forward price to earnings ratio of 10 and sports a yield of 2.7%.

Celgene (CELG) is a New Jersey company that is involved in the discovery, production, and marketing of therapies designed to treat cancer and immune-inflammatory-related diseases. They own LifeBank USA, a cord blood bank. The stock has a forward PE of 14.

Amgen Inc. (AMGN) is also funding research into cord blood extraction, preservation, and storage. The stock has a forward PE of 10 and carries a yield of 2.0%.

China Cord Blood Corporation (CO) provides cord blood collection, and stem cell storage services. The company is based in Beijing, China. The stock trades at 9 times earnings.

For a free list of cord blood and stem cell stocks, which can be downloaded, updated, and sorted, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Top Selling Real Estate Books

Investing in Real Estate

The Real Book of Real Estate: Real Experts. Real Stories. Real Life.

What Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know About Cash Flow... And 36 Other Key Financial Measures

Top Books in the Investment Category

The following are the top selling books in the Investing category at Amazon (AMZN).

EntreLeadership: 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches

The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing. A Book of Practical Counsel (Revised Edition)

Liar's Poker

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money - That The Poor And Middle Class Do Not!

Markets Never Forget (But People Do): How Your Memory Is Costing You Money-and Why This Time Isn't Different

Endgame: The End of the Debt Supercycle and How It Changes Everything

How to Get Monthly Income from Convertible Bonds

With the exception of a few micro-bonds that trade like stocks and pay interest quarterly, most bonds pay interest semi-annually. Convertible bonds are investments which can be converted into a specified number of shares of stocks. So if the company stock rises, the investor can convert the bond to stock and sell the shares. If the stock doesn't go up, the investor still receives regular income. If the company goes out of business, bonds are paid off first before the stockholders, so the convertible bonds provide additional security plus capital appreciation potential.

Bonds generally trade with minimum denominations of $5,000, and most bond brokers have minimum investments per trade of $10,000 to $25,000. So what's an investor do to if they want to put their money into convertibles, and want diversification with monthly income? Convertible bond closed end funds or CEFs are an option.

One convertible CEF example listed at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com is the Advent Claymore Convertible Securities & Income Fund (AVK), which yields 6.6%. The fund trades at an 11.4% discount to net asset value, and incurs a 0.92% management fee. Advent has been paying dividends since 2003.

The Calamos Convertible & High Income Fund (CHY) which generates a high yield of 8.8%. It can also be purchased at a discount, currently about 6.5%. The management fee is a bit on the high side at 1.13%. The Calamos CEF has also been paying since 2003.

For other monthly dividend CEFs, including convertible closed end funds, check out the list at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, which can be downloaded, sorted and updated.

Disclosure: Author didn't own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Check Out the Carlson School of Management Holiday Flash Mob

If you don't know what a flash mob is, you should check out this video. If you do know what a flash mob is, you should enjoy this Happy Holidays Flash Mob from the Carlson School of Management of the University of Minnesota. Nothing to do with investments, but it is from a business school.

The video is about four and a half minutes long, but worth it. You should watch until at least the middle of the video when the security guard walks in.

3 Great Gift Ideas for the Investor

The book Steve Jobs has been a best seller before it was even released. As a matter of fact, this book, written by Walter Isaacson,is the number one best seller at Amazon (AMZN) at the time this article is being written.

The Amazon review says it all: 'But the initial sadness in starting the book is soon replaced by something else, which is the intensity of the read--mirroring the intensity of Jobs’s focus and vision for his products. Few in history have transformed their time like Steve Jobs, and one could argue that he stands with the Fords, Edisons, and Gutenbergs of the world. This is a timely and complete portrait that pulls no punches and gives insight into a man whose contradictions were in many ways his greatest strength."

At 656 pages, Steve Jobs will keep you plenty occupied during the holidays.

* * *

The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley Ph.D. and William D. Danko Ph.D., is a fascinating look into the lives of millionaires, reviewing the traits and tips of the wealthy, how they deal with risk, and how they live their lives. There are seven rules to becoming a millionaire, all spelled out in an easy-to-read format. The book has a thousand customer reviews, with more than 70% giving it a 4 star or 5 star rating.

* * *

The classic investing book, The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham, has been updated to today's stock market situation by Jason Zweig, with Warren Buffett as Collaborator. Check out these reviews:

~ “By far the best book on investing ever written.” (Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway)

~ “If you read just one book on investing during your lifetime, make it this one” (Fortune)

~ “The wider Mr. Graham’s gospel spreads, the more fairly the market will deal with its public.” (Barron's)

If you don't own a copy of The Intelligent Investor, then you should. It is ranked number seven out of all investing books.

Monthly Dividends Can Reduce Volatility and Increase Compounding

Monthly dividend investments can return your capital faster, and can provide faster compounding. The monthly payments can also reduce volatility. Fortunately, there are over 150 different stocks that pay dividends monthly. Actually, even though these investments are often referred to as stocks, they are technically closed end bond funds, real estate investment trusts, oil income trusts, and closed end income stock funds, which pay dividends every month.

These monthly dividend investments can be found at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, which lists almost 200 different companies that pay dividends monthly, over 60 of which have high yields in excess of 7%.

One example is Gas Natural Inc. (EGAS), previously called Energy, Inc., It is a distributor of natural gas in Montana, Wyoming, North Carolina, and Maine. It was founded in 1909. The stock pays a yield of 4.9% and sports a price to earnings ratio of 13.5.

The MFS Multimarket Income Trust (MMT) pays a yield of 9.5%. It invests in fixed in fixed income investments throughout the world. The stock trades at a 5.2% discount to net asset value. The company, which has been around since 1987, has a management fee of 0.82%.

The Advent Claymore Convertible Securities & Income Fund (AVK) sports a yield of 6.6%, sells at about a 11.4% discount to net asset value, and carries a 0.92% management fee. This closed end fund, founded in 2003, invests approximately 60% of its portfolio in convertible securities and 40% in lower-grade non-convertible income securities.

LMP Real Estate Income Fund Inc. (RIT) is a way of investing in real estate and receive monthly inocme. It is an exchange traded fund that invests in real estate related companies including real estate investment trusts. It carries a yield of 4.5%, and has paid dividends since 2002. It is trading at a slight discount to net asset value. The management fee is 1.02%.

Pengrowth Energy Trust (PGH) is a Canadian oil royalty income trust that yields 7.6%. The company was founded in 1988. The company explores, develops, and produces oil and natural gas reserves in western Canada.

Realty Income Corp. (O), one of the few stocks with a single letter stock ticker symbol, yields 5.1%. This real estate investment trust which specializes in commercial retail real estate, has been around since 1969. The stock trades at 16.2 times forward earnings.

When looking for monthly dividend investments investors should avoid investments with high management fees, limited liquidity, ones that trade at a premium to net asset value, and the ones using excessive leverage. The municipal bond closed end funds may trigger the Alternative Minimum Tax

To see the list of almost a couple hundred monthly dividend stocks, including many that have yields of 6% or more, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. Keep in mind that very high yields may not be sustainable.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Investors in Coffee Machine Scam got Roasted - Stick with Coffee Stocks

The Federal government was recently involved in the prosecution of a company that was perpetrating a scam relating to the ownership of coffee vending machines which would be located in high-class areas. Some victims lost close to $200,000 each. Several investors never even received their coffee vending machines. The head of the swindle was sentenced to 10 years in jail plus $1.1 million in restitution.

Fortunately, there is an easier, safer, and better way to invest in coffee. The better option is through investing in stocks of companies involved in the coffee business. According to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are half a dozen coffee companies with price to earnings ratios below 25, and even more coffee companies that pay dividends.

First, you can be a wholesaler of coffee through the ownership of stock in Coffee Holding Co. (JVA), a roaster of wholesale coffee that markets wholesale green coffee, private label coffee, and branded coffee in the United States and Canada. The stock trades at 16 times current earnings, 10 times forward earnings and provides a dividend yield that can outperform your money market yield, at 1.3%. Revenues rose 88% for the latest reported quarter, but earnings dropped 60%.

Why buy a coffee shop franchise when you can much more easily buy a part of the largest coffeehouse retailer in the world? Starbucks (SBUX) has outlets in 50 countries and over 17,000 shops worldwide. The stock trades at 27 times earnings and enjoys a yield of 1.6%. Earnings for the latest quarter were up an incredible 28.5% on an 6.8% boost in revenues.

For a list of all of the coffee stocks, including the ones that pay dividends, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. The list can be downloaded, sorted, and updated.

Disclosure: Author didn't own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

What Stocks Have These Tickers: CHUX, SEED, CAKE, TAP, FACE, XRAY

O'Charley's Inc. (CHUX) owns and operates restaurants.

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

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

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

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

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

Time to Harvest Your Stock Losses

This is the last month to take short and long term capital losses on your stocks for the year 2011. The IRS bases the date of the transaction on the trade date, not the settlement date (however, there are special rules for short sales and for professional traders).

Also, keep in mind the special rules for wash sales:

You cannot deduct losses from sales or trades of stock or securities in a wash sale. A wash sale occurs when you sell or trade stock or securities at a loss and within 30 days before or after the sale you:
*Buy substantially identical stock or securities,
*Acquire substantially identical stock or securities in a fully taxable trade, or
*Acquire a contract or option to buy substantially identical stock or securities.

If you sell stock and your spouse or a corporation you control buys substantially identical stock, you also have a wash sale. If your loss was disallowed because of the wash sale rules, add the disallowed loss to the cost of the new stock or securities. The result is your basis in the new stock or securities. This adjustment postpones the loss deduction until the disposition of the new stock or securities. Your holding period for the new stock or securities begins on the same day as the holding period of the stock or securities sold. Special rules apply to options, futures, and warrants.

This article should not be considered tax or accounting advice. As always, talk to your CPA or tax advisor before taking any action involving tax consequences.

Wall Street Quotation for the Season

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

What Google Searchers are Now Saying about the Stock Market

If you go to Google (GOOG) and type in 'The Stock Market Is,' you will see the following:

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Fourth Week of December

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends'. This is the process 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. This technique generally works only in bull markets. In flat or choppy markets, you have to be extremely careful, and may need to avoid the technique during those times.

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.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend during the next week or two. The list contains many dividend paying companies, all with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the market capitalization, the ex-dividend date and the yield.

H.J. Heinz Company (HNZ) market cap: $16.0B ex div date: 12/20/2011 yield: 3.8%

Inter Pipeline Fund (IPPLF) market cap: $3.4B ex div date: 12/20/2011 yield: 5.5%

LTC Properties, Inc. (LTC) market cap: $815.6M ex div date: 12/20/2011 yield: 6.3%

Campbell Soup Company (CPB) market cap: $10.2B ex div date: 12/22/2011 yield: 3.6%

Portland General Electric Company (POR) market cap: $1.8B ex div date: 12/22/2011 yield: 4.5%

PennantPark Investment Corp. (PNNT) market cap: $437.0M ex div date: 12/21/2011 yield: 11.7%

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found at wsnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn't show up, you may have to empty your cache.) 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.

Dividend definitions:

Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend.

Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend.

Monthly Dividend Stock List
Record date: the day when you must be on the company's books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks two business days before the record date.

Payment date: the day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date.

Don't forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Third Week of December

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends'. This is the process 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. This technique generally works only in bull markets. In flat or choppy markets, you have to be extremely careful, and may need to avoid the technique during those times.

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.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend during the next week or two. The list contains many dividend paying companies, all with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the market capitalization, the ex-dividend date and the yield.

H&R Real Estate Investment Trust (HRUFF) market cap: $2.8B ex div date: 12/12/2011 yield: 4.7%

Renasant Corp. (RNST) market cap: $325.8M ex div date: 12/12/2011 yield: 5.2%

Public Storage (PSA) market cap: $20.9B ex div date: 12/12/2011 yield: 3.1%

PS Business Parks, Inc. (PSB) market cap: $1.2B ex div date: 12/12/2011 yield: 3.6%

Triangle Capital Corporation (TCAP) market cap: $381.2M ex div date: 12/12/2011 yield: 11.2%

GATX Corporation (GMT) market cap: $1.7B ex div date: 12/13/2011 yield: 3.1%

Garmin Ltd. (GRMN) market cap: $6.7B ex div date: 12/13/2011 yield: 4.6%

Getty Realty Corp. (GTY) market cap: $505.9M ex div date: 12/13/2011 yield: 6.6%

Mercury General Corporation (MCY) market cap: $2.3B ex div date: 12/13/2011 yield: 5.9%

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) market cap: $101.1B ex div date: 12/13/2011 yield: 5.1%

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found at wsnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn't show up, you may have to empty your cache.) 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.

Dividend definitions:

Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend.

Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend.

Monthly Dividend Stock List
Record date: the day when you must be on the company's books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks two business days before the record date.

Payment date: the day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date.

Don't forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Odd Lots December 2011: Financial News Snippets

Stockerblog was recently in the Top 10 Investment Blogs on the Kindle
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Weird Real Estate: The Home at the Top of a Volcano

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Top Money Videos

The following are the top five money-related videos at YouTube. As you can see, they are all music videos.

Stocks With Lots of Cash

Lots of cash is great, whether you are an individual or a company. One key statistic that value investors examine who look at value stocks is the cash per share. The cash per share is determined by taking all the cash on the company's book divided by all the shares that are outstanding. If the price of the stock is below the cash per share, and assuming the company has little or no debt, then it may be a great value investment.

There are plenty of stocks that sell below the cash per share, but you may want to avoid certain ones because they carry huge amounts of debt. A few airlines fall into that category, such as US Airways Group (LCC) and United Continental (UAL), both of which trade way below the cash per share but have debt in the billions.

Fortunately, investors can still find stocks trading below cash with little or no debt. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com just updated its list of stocks selling below cash, which also includes data on the forward price to earnings ratio, the market capitalization, the cash per share, and the total debt.

One example is the Livermore, California based FormFactor, Inc. (FORM), which makes and markets precision and high performance advanced semiconductor wafer probe cards used for testing chips and other devices. The company should continue to benefit from the appetite for microprocessors. This debt-free stock has over $6.25 in cash per share yet closed at only $5.71, a 9% discount. The stock is also selling at a big discount to its book value of 7.48. The stock trades at 1.61 times sales. The company reported a net loss of 1.17 per share for the latest quarter, but generated a 10% increase in revenues.

Another example is Digital River Inc. (DRIV), a Minnesota based outsourcer of e-commerce solutions, primarily online sales channel capability. The stock trades at 15.43 trading at a 13% discount to its cash per share of 17.79 and its book value of 17.74. The stock trades at 12.7 times forward earnings, and 1.51 times sales, with revenues rising 123%. The does have some debt in the mount of $354 million.

For a list of stocks trading below cash per share, which you can update and sort, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author didn't own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Stock Owned by both T. Boone Pickens and Warren Buffett

T. Boone Pickens, is chairman the hedge fund BP Capital Management. He was formerly involved in takeovers and was considered a corporate raider during the 1980s. He is ranked by Forbes as one of the 400 richest people in America. Born in Oklahoma, his first job was as a paperboy. After graduating from college, he started working for Phillips Petroleum, then became a wildcatter. He has recently been a supporter of windfarms.

Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK-A) (BRK-B) Warren Buffett is considered to be the top investor in the world and the world's third richest person. He started his career as a child selling various items door-to-door, running a paper route like Pickens, detailing cars, and selling golf balls. According to the latest list of Warren Buffett Berkshire Hathaway stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there is one stock that Buffett and Pickens agree on.

Pickens has decided to follow in the footsteps of Buffett by recently buying one of Berkshire's holdings, ExxonMobil (XOM). The stock trades at 9.5 times forward earnings and pays a favorable yield of 2.4%. In May of this year, the company raised its dividend by 6.8%. Regular quarterly dividends have been paid for over 40 years.

Earnings for the latest quarter were up 40.5% on a revenue increase of 31.5%. Selling at slightly less than $80 per share at the time this article was written, the stock has a mean price target by analysts of $90 per share. ExxonMobil currently holds over $11 billion in cash.

For a free list of stocks that Warren Buffett owns, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Stocks Owned by Both Warren Buffett and George Soros

The two top investors are Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK-A) (BRK-B) Warren Buffett and George Soros. Both of these billionaires have been investing in stocks for years, with very successful track records. Soros has reportedly returned 20% per year for his investors and Buffett's Berkshire averaged an annual growth in book value of 20.3% for the last 44 years. According to the latest list of Warren Buffett Berkshire Hathaway stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are two stock that they agree on. As a matter of fact, they have been copying each other.

Soros is copying Buffett by recently buying one of Berkshire's holdings, Sanofi Aventis ADR (SNY), the Paris, France based health care company which produces prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, generics, vaccines, and animal health products. The stock trades at 8 times forward earnings and pays a decent yield of 3.8%. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 26.2% on a revenue increase of 11.1%.

Buffett has done the same thing. Soros has owned IBM (IBM) for a while and Buffett decided last quarter to jump on the bandwagon and buy some. IBM has a forward price to earnings ratio of 13 and provides a dividend of 1.6%. Quarterly earnings rose by 7% on a 7.1% rise in revenues.

For a free list of stocks that Warren Buffett owns, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Are You a Billionaire or Billionaire Wannabe? Here is Your Christmas List

If you are a billionaire, or a millionaire, or even just aspiring wealth, there is a list for you of items that you need to add to your Christmas list. The BillionairesLife.com 2011 Christmas List includes such items as the Sky Moon Tourbillon 5002 P watch, a dunhill of London Biometric Wallet, an island, and a solid gold car. There is even a bed that floats in the air.