Why You Should Buy Short Squeeze Stocks

Since the stock market has taken a few big drops recently, now might be a perfect opportunity to buy short squeeze stocks. What is a short squeeze stock, you may ask?
A short squeeze takes place when large number of short sellers have shorted a stock, and the stock comes out with unexpected good news, causing the price of the stock to spike by a huge amount, because all the short sellers have to scramble to cover their positions by buying in their shares. This mad dash to buy often generates margin calls, which causes more buying and higher prices of the stock.
Potential short squeeze plays have several metrics to compare one stock to another. One of the most popular metrics is the Short Interest Ratio, also known as the Days to Cover. This measures the number of days it would take the short sellers to cover their positions based on the average daily trading volume. The longer it would take to cover, the higher the ratio. Another analysis is the number of shares that are currently shorted as a percentage of the float (the float is the number of shares that are actively traded). The higher the percentage of shorted shares, the greater the chance that an upside surprise would drive up the price.
Here is an example. ITT Educational Services Inc. (ESI), the for-profit education company, has a short ratio of about 16. This means that if the short sellers wanted to cover their shorts, it would take them approximately 16 days to close their positions, based on the average daily trading volume. In addition, an incredible 57% of the float has been shorted. Just the slightest bit of good news could send the stock skyrocketing. The stock currently trades at nine times trailing earnings and 11 times forward earnings.
Another stock with a high short interest is j2 Global, Inc. (JCOM), the cloud computing and digital media company based at Hollywood Boulevard in California. The stock has an outrageously high short ratio of 28, which means it would take a month for the short sellers to cover. 27% of the float has been shorted. It trades at 19 times trailing earnings and 16 times forward earnings. What is interesting is that the latest reported quarterly earnings were up 16% on a 58% boost in revenues.
Obviously, there is no guarantee that good news will hit these stocks, but if it does, the rise in the price can be substantial. If you list interesting stock lists like this, check out the free stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.
Disclosure: The author didn't own any of the above at the time the article was written.
By Stockerblog.com

Books by and about Warren Buffett, George Soros, Carl Icahn, and T. Boone Pickens

Here is a list of books about the top investment traders Warren Buffett, the billionaire head of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B), George Soros, Carl Icahn, and T. Boone Pickens. Some are written by these famous investors and some are about them, written by others.

by Buffett

The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing. A Book of Practical Counsel Warren E. Buffett (Collaborator)

The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America, Third Edition Warren E. Buffett (Author) Lawrence A. Cunningham (Author, Editor)

Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger, Expanded Third Edition Warren E. Buffett (Foreword)

Los ensayos de Warren Buffett (Spanish Edition) Warren E. Buffett (Author)
Carl Icahn

King Icahn: The Biography of a Renegade Capitalist
Buffett, Icahn, Soros

Becoming Rich: The Wealth-Building Secrets of the World's Master Investors Buffett, Icahn, Soros
George Soros

Soros on Soros: Staying Ahead of the Curve by George Soros

The Crash of 2008 and What it Means: The New Paradigm for Financial Markets by George Soros
T. Boone Pickens

The First Billion Is the Hardest: Reflections on a Life of Comebacks and America's Energy Future by T. Boone Pickens

Boone Pickens: The Luckiest Guy in the World by T. Boone Pickens

about Buffett

Trade Like Warren Buffett

The Warren Buffett Way, Second Edition

The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

The Winning Investment Habits of Warren Buffett & George Soros

The New Buffettology: The Proven Techniques for Investing Successfully in Changing Markets That Have Made Warren Buffett the World's Most Famous Investor

Warren Buffett Speaks: Wit and Wisdom from the World's Greatest Investor

The Tao of Warren Buffett: Warren Buffett's Words of Wisdom: Quotations and Interpretations to Help Guide You to Billionaire Wealth and Enlightened Business Management


By Stockerblog.com

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the First Week of September

  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, and can work in flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the technique during bear markets.

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 in the near future. The list contains many dividend paying companies, many with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, and the yield.

Enerplus Corporation (ERF) 9/3/2013 6.6%

Cedar Fair L.P. (FUN) 9/3/2013 5.8%

Kronos Worldwide Inc (KRO) 9/3/2013 3.9%

NL Industries (NL) 9/3/2013 4.4%

PDL BioPharma Inc (PDLI) 9/3/2013 7.4%

Swisscom AG (SCM) 9/3/2013 9.1%

Weingarten Realty (WRI) 9/3/2013 4.2%

American National Bankshares (AMNB) 9/4/2013 4.0%

Gannett (GCI) 9/4/2013 3.2%

Kimberly-Clark (KMB) 9/4/2013 3.4%

Old Republic International Corp (ORI) 9/4/2013 4.9%

Public Service Enterprise Group (PEG) 9/4/2013 4.4%

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 some of the other high yield stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com. Most of the lists are free.

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 at 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.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Expanded
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

This Stock is Up 250,000% Right Now

Anyone who has been reading my articles recently have noticed that I like to write about unusual stocks and unusual stock movements. You may have read The Stock that was Up One Thousand Percent Today and The Stock that was Up 11000% on Friday. Now there is one that takes the cake.

If you looked at Kbridge Energy Corp. (BMMCF) on Yahoo! Finance today, Tuesday, August 27, 2013, 12:49PM EDT, you would see that the stock is up 259,934.34% today!!! (See graphic)

The previous close was 0.0002 per share, and now it is trading for 0.52 per share. In other words, if you had invested $100 in the stock to buy 500,000 shares, it would now be worth $260,000. The company is a broker for energy and resource related contracts in South Korea. It is based in Las Vegas, Nevada

Is this a sign that we are in a bubble? As always, I never recommend anyone buy or short these kinds of stocks.

Desperation Stocks

'Pawn Stars' and 'Hard Core Pawn' are two popular reality shows on television which cover family run pawn shop operations. Pawn shops do well when the country is in an economic downturn and unemployment is high, but continue to bring in business when times are good, since there is always a sector of society that has no bank connections or credit cards. There are about a dozen stocks involved in the pawn shop industry and related industries, such as payday loans, which appear on the free list at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. These companies are sometimes called 'Desperation Stocks' since when people need to borrow money and they can't borrow from a bank or credit card, they become desperate and either get a payday loan or they take an item into a pawn shop.
The largest publicly traded company in this field by market cap is First Cash Financial Services Inc. (FCFS), based in Arlington, Texas, which has a market capitalization of $1.5 billion. It has pawnshops in over 800 locations in Texas, Colorado, District of Columbia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia, and Wyoming, and also in 24 states in Mexico. In addition to pawn loans, First Cash also offers payday loans and title loans on automobiles. The company also buys, gold, silver, and platinum and provides Western Union services.The stock trades at 19 times trailing earnings and 15.5 times forward earnings. Revenues for the latest quarter were up 8.1%, however, earnings were down 4.2%.
The second largest is Cash America International, Inc. (CSH), a $1.2 billion company based in Fort Worth, Texas. It has over 900 locations in the United States and Mexico with the brand names Cash America Pawn, SuperPawn and Prenda Fácil. The company also offers short-term cash advance loans through the Internet to customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. The stock trades at 12.5 times trailing earnings and 9 times forward earnings, and even pays a small yield of 0.3%. Earnings for the latest quarter were down 15.7% on flat revenues.
To see a list of other companies in pawn shops including EZCorp (EZPW) and DFC Global (DLLR), which can be downloaded, sorted and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.
Disclosure: Author didn't own any of the above at the time the article was written.
By Stockerblog.com

The Stock that was Up One Thousand Percent Today

Today's high rise stock was up only a measly 1,000% today, not even close to the one I wrote about last week that was up 11,000%. The stock that was up today is called China Linen Textile Industry, Ltd. (CTXIF). What is it about these China companies?

The company produces and markets various linen products throughout China. It supposedly has a P/E ratio of only 0.02 (that might be some sort of record if it is accurate). What is even weirder is that the stock supposedly has a book value of $8.01. The market cap is only $233,840 (yes, less than a million). The stock went from $0.0035 a share yesterday to $0.04 today, an increase of 1,042.86%.

What is amazing is that back in October 2009, the stock was trading at $49 a share on a slit adjusted basis, according to Yahoo! Finance Historical Prices and the Basic Chart. Could you imagine shorting it back then?

As always, I never recommend buying or shorting these types of stocks. They are extremely speculative due to the very low capitalization, the strange financial data, and the weird trading activity. Just watch, don't touch.

The World's Most Expensive Investment Book at $1979

Do you believe that the most expensive advice is the best advice? Do you believe that you have to pay for quality? Then you might want to consider buying the book Margin of Safety: Risk-Averse Value Investing Strategies for the Thoughtful Investor by Seth Klarman, extremely successful portfolio manager of The Baupost Group. Unfortunately the book is out of print but it is available through Amazon (AMZN) at very high prices. Currently three Amazon sellers are offering a new version of the book at prices ranging from $1,979.95 to $2,399.99. If those prices are too rich for your blood, then you can always buy a used copy for only $989.99. According to some of the Amazon comments, it is one of the most-stolen library books.
So why is the book so successful? First, Klarman is an extremely successful money manager. Second, the print run for the book wasn't that big. Third, the book has been out of print for about twenty years, based on my understanding. Fourth, because of all these reasons, the book has become a collector's item as opposed to a book.
And what's the book all about? Value investing, which he covers in extensive detail. He also continuously promotes the philosophy of maintaining a margin of safety. This hardback book is 249 pages long and is published by HarperCollins. Surprisingly, it ranks #23 in the category of Books > Business & Investing > Investing > Bonds.
You probably don't want to buy the book as a gift for someone (you would hate to find out it ended up in a charity book sale). But if you are interested in it for yourself, and price is no object for you, you should get Margin of Safety: Risk-Averse Value Investing Strategies for the Thoughtful Investor.

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Fifth Week of August

  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, and can work in flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the technique during bear markets.

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 in the near future. The list contains many dividend paying companies, many with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, and the yield.

Bank of Hawaii (BOH) 8/28/2013 3.2%

Earthlink, Inc. (ELNK) 8/28/2013 3.2%

Student Transportation Inc (STB) 8/28/2013 8.9%

Transalta Corp (TAC) 8/28/2013 8.0%

Trustmark Corp (TRMK) 8/28/2013 3.4%

Lockheed Martin (LMT) 8/29/2013 3.9%

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 some of the other high yield stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com. Most of the lists are free.

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 at 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.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Expanded
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

Drink Booze, Lose Weight, Buy Booze Stocks, Make Money

It may be hard to believe but moderate drinking of alcoholic beverages, whether beer, wine, or liquor, may help you lose weight or at least prevent you from gaining more weight than you would if you didn't drink at all. Various studies have shown that drinking liquor moderately may improve your health, not just lessening the risk of diabetes and heart disease, but also may help in keeping weight under control.
So how can investors participate in these alcohol health benefits. According to the recently updated list of wine and liquor stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are over a dozen companies in the alcoholic beverage field, some of which pay dividends.
Beam, Inc. (BEAM) is an Illinois based company that produces bourbon whiskey, Scotch whisky, Canadian whisky, and other beverages under the brands of Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Sauza, Courvoisier, Canadian Club, Teacher’s, and Laphroaig. The stock trades at 26 times trailing earnings, a forward price to earnings ratio of 21.5, and pays a yield of 1.4%. Earnings for the latest quarter were down 28.5% on a revenue increase of 6.8%.
Brown-Forman Corporation (BF-B) is another liquor distributor which is famous for its Jack Daniel's and Southern Comfort brands. The stock has a price-to-earnings ratio of 25, a forward P/E of 21, and pays a yield of 1.6%. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 8.3%, with a 9.5% boost in revenues.
Diageo (DEO) is a London based alcoholic beverage distributor that markets numerous brands of whiskey, including Johnnie Walker Scotch whiskey, Crown Royal Canadian whiskey, JeB Scotch whisky, Buchanan's Scotch whiskey, Windsor Premier Scotch whiskey, and Bushmills Irish whiskey. It also sells vodka, rum, and wine. The stock trades at 20 times trailing earnings, and 15 times forward earnings. It sports a higher-than-industry-average yield of 2.8%.
For a free list of wine and liquor stocks, which you can download, sort, and update, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.
Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above stocks at the time the article was written.
By Stockerblog.com

A Bunch of Free Language Learning Websites

Are you looking forward to an end-of-summer vacation, but not looking forward to an anticipated language problem? Need to freshen up on your French or Spanish that you learned in high school or college? Instead of spending a lot of money on expensive training or classes, why not try some of the free language learning websites first?

Here is a list of language learning sites that don't charge any money. Most cover all the popular languages, such as Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, and Japanese. But some will even teach you the more esoteric languages, such as Ukrainian and Urdu.

Duolingo
http://www.duolingo.com

MIT
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/foreign-languages-and-literatures

Chillola (primarily for kids)
http://Chillola.com

LiveMocha
http://livemocha.com

Hello (primarily for kids)
http://ipl.org/div/hello

Lang-8
http://lang-8.com

BBC Languages
http://bbc.co.uk/languages

Foreign Service Institute
http://fsi-language-courses.org/Content.php

Transparent
http://www.transparent.com/language-resources/

Internet Polyglot
http://www.internetpolyglot.com

Effective Language Learning
http://www.effectivelanguagelearning.com

My Languages
http://www.mylanguages.org

Also, if you are looking for foreign language newspapers or radio stations, check out MultiLingualBooks
http://multilingualbooks.com

Stocks that Have Recently Raised Their Dividends

The following stocks have recently increased their dividends. This is usually a sign that the company is doing well.

G&K Services (GK) raised its quarterly dividend by 38%

Intertape Polymer Group Inc. (TSX:ITP) doubled its dividend on an annualized basis.

Nordson Corp. (NDSN) raised the company's quarterly cash dividend 20%

Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) just a a dividend which was 20% over the previous quarter.

ITC Holdings (ITC) increased the quarterly dividend by 1

Weyerhaeuser Company (WY) announced a 10% increase in its quarterly dividend.

MGE Energy, Inc. (MGEE) increased the regular quarterly dividend to $0.4076 per share

Connecticut Water Service, Inc. (CTWS) announced an annualized dividend increase of 2.1%

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (GPI) declared a cash dividend increase of 6.3%

Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (CNK) announced a 19% increase in its quarterly dividend payout. If you like interesting lists like this, check out the many stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, most of which are free.

The New ETF Specializing in Robot Stocks

There seems to be an Exchange Traded Fund, also known as an ETF,for every country, every sector, and every industry. Well, I thought all the industries were all covered, but now there is a new one.

The Robo-Stox Global Robotics and Automation Index ETF (ROBO) is a passive investment that invests in robotics and automation countries around the world. The portfolio will hold very liquid stocks with a market cap greater than $200 million. It is sponsored by Exchange Traded Concepts, and the management fee will be 0.95%.

According to the Robo-Stox's filing with the SEC:

The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its total assets in securities of the Index or in depositary receipts representing securities of the Index. The Index is designed to measure the performance of robotics-related and/or automation-related companies. Companies eligible for inclusion in the Index will derive a significant portion of revenues and profits from robotics-related and/or automation-related products and/or services, as determined by the Index Provider, Robo-Stox LLC (“Robotics and Automation Companies”). Such products and/or services include any technology, service or device that supports, aids or contributes, in any capacity, to any type of robot, robotic action and/or automation system process, software or management. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in securities of Robotics and Automation Companies. This investment policy may be changed without shareholder approval, upon 60 days’ notice to shareholders.

By the way, if you want a free list of stocks involved in the robotics industry, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

The Stock that was Up 11000% on Friday

On Friday, August 16, a stock rose 11011.11%. Yes, you read that right, not 100%, not 1000%, and not just 10000%. The name of the company is Decor Products International Inc. (DCRD) and according to a couple sources, the stock closed at ten cents a share and previously closed at $0.0009 per share, that's nine one-hundredths of a cent. If you could have caught those prices and bought a million shares, you would have invested $900 and received $100,000.

This is a China based company that makes and markets furniture decorative paper. Surprisingly, or perhaps weirdly, the stock has an extremely low price to earnings ratio of 0.30 and a book value of 5.11.

According to the Yahoo! Finance five year chart on this stock, it traded around $90 a share back in 2009.

I don't recommend that anyone ever invest in this or any similar types of stock as they are extremely speculative due to the low capitalization, the strange financial data, and the weird trading activity. However they are still still fun to watch.

Healthy Stocks

As technology continues to change our world, one place this is most obvious is in health and science. Researchers have found ways to extend the average lifespan of people and provide insight on how to be more healthy and live longer lives. With this information, people have changed their eating habits, begun working out more, and have become more interested in health. That said, there is a booming opportunity for those looking to invest in the health food arena and earn a financial gain.

Opportunities to invest in healthy food options include non-GMO choices, vegetarian foods, the supplement industry, and much more. Companies like United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI), Dole Food Company (DOLE), Boulder Brands Inc. (BDBD), and more all create healthy food products and make up for a large part of profitable food producers. Another investment option involves nutritional supplement stores including GNC (GNC), Herbalife (HLF), and Vitamin Shoppe (VSI). And grocery chains such as Whole Foods Market (WFM), The Fresh Market (TFM), and Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NGVC) also offer investment opportunities to those looking to take off with the booming industry of health food. Just a few decades ago, people began investing in drive-thru restaurants like McDonalds (MCD), Burger King, Taco Bell and other fast food places. All of these financial opportunities massively expanded due to the trend in fast food. However now there is a shift back towards being healthy and having an active lifestyle. As that pattern continues, so will the trend of shopping for and eating healthy food. Investors have the opportunity to take advantage of these markets, much like those who took advantage of fast food chains just a short time ago.

According to the free list at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com of health food stocks, there are over a dozen worth different companies in this field. Whole Foods Market (WFM) is one of the major players in this industry. It based in Austin, Texas, and owns a chain of supermarkets specializing in natural and organic products. The stock trades at 37 times trailing earnings and 31 times forward earnings. The earnings for the latest reported quarter were up an amazing 21% on a 12% boost in revenues. The company has $989 billion in cash, amounting to $2.66 in cash per share. Whole Foods pays a small dividend with a yield of 0.8%.

Hain Celestial Group (HAIN) is a provider of natural and organic foods and personal care products. The company brands include Celestial Seasonings tea, Soy Dream and Almond Dream beverages, the FreeBird brand of organic free range chickens, and whole grain foods through Arrowhead Mills. The stock has a trailing price to earnings ratio of 30 and forward PE of 25. Earnings for the latest quarter were up an incredible 69% on an excellent 21% boost in sales. The company has $27 million in cash. It does not pay a dividend.

There are plenty of other health food stocks worth examining for your portfolio health. To see all the primary companies involved in the health food industry, check out the list of health food stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Consider investing in the health food industry for your next financial decision. Not only is this an industry that people are actively interested in, but it is one that will only continue to grow as people become more aware of the importance of eating and living a more healthy lifestyle.

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

By Stockerblog.com

Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior

Did you know that investors prefer IPO stocks with pronounceable company names as opposed to unpronounceable names? They even prefer the pronounceable stocks even over a long term basis of six months or a year. You may not realize it but your investment decisions are controlled more by your unconscious than the conscious part of your brain.

Leonard Mlodinow's latest book, Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior, covers this and a lot more information about how our subliminal mind controls us. Just take a look at the book's cover. In almost clear ink, which can't be seen unless you tilt the book in the right direction under a light, it says "Pssst... Hey There. Yes, you sexy. Buy this book now. You know you want it."

In addition to his humor, the book contains extensive intellectually insightful yet easy to understand material on how you make decisions, whether for investing, making a business decision, or your personal decisions. If you read The Drunkard's Walk, his previous book, you will certainly enjoy this one.

Did you know that very sunny days in New York City can affect stock market, in addition to very cloudy days? The weather affects the unconscious mind of stock traders which affects their stock trading behavior. There are lots of interesting anecdotes that are backed by extensive research, which he covers quite well.

The chapter called Self is fascinating. It is about over confidence, business execs who think their business will be more successful and competitors, investors who believe they can pick stocks better than they actually can, etc.

If you wan't an intellectually stimulating book, read Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior.

The Growth of the Medical Marijuana Industry and the Stocks that Participate

In November of 2012, the United States began the next revolution in American history. But this isn’t the railroad boom of the industrial revolution, or the booming importance of the Internet in the technology revolution. Instead, states like Colorado and Washington passed laws in 2012 that will pave the way for the medical marijuana revolution and will change how the nation accepts cannabis culture. But along with users who enjoy the opportunity to use marijuana for personal use, there is also a huge opportunity for investment for those that are looking to make a large financial gain.

Tax Revenues

Aside from all of the medical marijuana users who enjoy using for personal reasons, governments have also gotten ‘high’ after seeing the amount of money the industry turns over. In 2012, Colorado estimates that it brought in nearly $200 million in tax revenues. For a nation that is struggling to remain atop of the world economies, this is an eye-opening number. For those that are looking to invest, these numbers are important to keep in mind due to the value that they have on the national economy. If something is so profitable and helps the country dig into its national debt, it will only rise in value as it becomes more acceptable throughout the rest of the country. This garners amazing investment opportunities for those looking to invest in the marijuana industry.

Jobs

Aside from the money, the medical marijuana industry provides jobs for people. The larger the system gets, the more people are needed to work in the process of growing, harvesting, distributing and selling marijuana. If the tax revenue wasn’t enough to peak the interest of the government (hint, it is), then seeing the unemployment rate drop and even further bolstering the economy is another added benefit to keep in mind with the legitimacy of cultivating marijuana. This is an added safety net of concern for those looking to invest in the medical cannabis arena.

Establishment Support

Lastly, marijuana is no longer looked at with such negativity and stigmatized opinions. Influential names across America like US Attorney General Eric Holder, who has proposed more leniency for drug offenders, CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta support of medical marijuana legalization, and many more high-ranking officials have voiced their opinion on the financial and health benefits that medicinal marijuana provides. Even major health journals, such as Nutricula Magazine has espoused the legalization of marijuana for its health benefits.

Investment Opportunities

If you are an investor who is considering buying stocks in medical marijuana, consider that a lot is weighing in favor of the huge growth of the industry. Like anything, there is risk when investing. However with the financial, employment and health benefits that medicinal marijuana provides, the industry has already begun to catch enough momentum that it has captured the eyes of investors.
Most of the companies related to medical marijuana are very low cap stocks, according to the free list of over 20 marijuana stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. However, for the medical use of marijuana and its derivatives, there are larger companies that produce such products as Marinol, which is synthesized THC, also known as dronabinol, and available by prescription in the US. This is a product of Solvay SA (SVYSF). However this is just a small part of this large chemical conglomerate.
Nabilone, marketed as Cesamet, is produced by Valeant Pharmaceuticals International (VRX), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange. Nabilone, a synthetic cannabinoid, is used to treat chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, anorexia, and weight loss in AIDS patients. Valeant also markets Fluorouracil, a cancer treatment drug, and Diastat, a seizure drug. This $31.5 billion market cap stock trades at 7.87 times sales. Revenues for the latest quarter were up 33.6%, however, earnings were negative.

GW Pharmaceuticals (GWPRF) produces Sativex, an oral spray with tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, which is used to treat multiple sclerosis patients, and also for treating pain in cancer patients. This $137 million company trades at three times sales. Revenues were down 34% for the latest quarter.

Some of the companies in this industry have already made major moves. For example, Medbox, Inc. (MDBX), which makes machines that can dispense medication and medical marijuana to individuals based on biometric identification, has risen from about $2 a share a year ago to $35 a share today. Other microcap medical marijuana-related stocks that have recently started to move up are Cannabis Science Inc. (CBIS), Medical Marijuana Inc. (MJNA) which prints its stock certificates on hemp paper, CannaVEST Corp. (CANV), and Cynapsus Therapeutics Inc. (CTH.V). These are extremely low capitalization stocks that should be considered extremely speculative.

To see the complete free list of over twenty marijuana stocks, which shows the symbol, PE ratio, price sales ratio, yield, market capitalization, and business description, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.



Disclosure: Author owns MJNA.

By Stockerblog.com

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Fourth Week of August

  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, and can work in flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the technique during bear markets.

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 in the near future. The list contains many dividend paying companies, many with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, and the yield.

Gladstone Investment (GAIN) 8/19/2013 8.1%

Gladstone Land Corporation (LAND) 8/19/2013 8.8%

LTC Properties (LTC) 8/20/2013 4.5%

Western Asset Municipal Term Trust Inc. (MTT) 8/21/2013 4.9%

Park National Corp (PRK) 8/21/2013 4.7%

American Financial Group Inc. (AFW) 8/23/2013 6.3%

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 some of the other high yield stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com. Most of the lists are free.

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 at 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.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Expanded
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 Future of 3D Printing Technology

Technology continues to exponentially grow more and more with each passing day. One of the most recent technological advancements that is already changing lives is 3D printing. While it’s only a matter of time that printers become readily available to people for their own homes, business are already maximizing on the possibilities of these printers for their business. The investment in a new printer with 3D capabilities is worth the investment for any business, because of the benefits the printer gives to the company. 3D printers are even being used now to print eyeglasses. Here’s a look into why a printer can be very valuable.

Reliable Production
Unlike workers that clock in and out every day and their work ethic can vary greatly, a 3D printing system can run 24-hours a day to create anything that you have to produce. Once your company creates a CAD illustration of the object(s) you want to build, you can simply turn the printer on and let it begin printing as many copies of the item that you need. This is great in a plethora of fields, but especially those were manufacturing or creating a product is a valuable part of their business. Car manufacturers can print parts, the housing industry can print building materials, and much more. Printing in 3D is not just for toy enthusiasts or hobbyists anymore. It’s a major development that can help with mass production.

Product Adjustments
With a 3D printer, you can also build new products and quickly adjust any changes that need to be made with them. For companies that make new products, this process formally involved large delays in time while the product would be created, changes would be made, and weeks would pass from the first time the idea was developed to the actual completion date. Now, 3D printers allow companies to develop and print a prototype object, physically touch it and see what can stay as is, or what needs to be changed. This turnaround time for companies is extremely viable for helping create new products for the world to use.

Health Industry
Because a 3D printer can help with creating nearly any 3D object, this is especially true in the health industry. 3D printers can make human tissue and other objects that can mean the difference between life and death. Hospitals that make an investment into a 3D printer can have more supplies on hand and can create new supplies once they run out. This makes their efficiency rating much higher than having to wait for the delivery of health products and not knowing what will happen to the patient in the meantime.

Technology continues to change lives in every aspect in the world. However only so often do true advancements come along that change nearly the entire way things are done. 3D printing is this advancement and will revolutionize the way people create and manufacture items. The best way to participate in this grow area is by investing in 3D printing stocks..

One of the largest companies on the free list of 3D printing companies at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com is 3D Systems Corporation (DDD), which has a market cap of $4.9 billion. 3D Systems is a Rock Hill, South Carolina based company, founded in 1986, which produces 3D printers and related products. The stock trades at 111 times current earnings and 37 times forward earnings. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 12.2% on a 44.5% rise in revenues. The company has $349 million in cash and $32 million in debt.

Another 3D printer is Stratasys (SSYS), which produces three-dimensional printers, rapid prototyping systems, and related consumable materials. This Minnesota based company was founded in 1989. Latest quarterly earnings were negative, however, revenues rose by 116%. This company has the advantage of being debt free with $148 million in cash. This $3.9 billion market cap stock trades at 40 times forward earnings.

In 3D software arena, Autodesk (ADSK) makes 3D software for many different industries, including entertainment, architecture, and manufacturing. The stock trades at 38 times trailing earnings and 16 times forward earnings. The company has $746 million in debt, with $2.1 billion dollars in cash, which amounts to 9.27 cash per share.

For a free list of the companies involved in 3D printing, 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

Participate in the Italian Economic Turnaround with Italy Stocks

Having just returned from a vacation to Rome, I can tell you that tourism in Italy is very, very strong. According to the Italian Economy Minister Fabrizio Saccomanni, Italy's economy should emerge from its slump "By the end of this year." It may be hard to believe, but even with the volatility and ups-and-downs in the Milan stock market, the iShares MSCI Italy Capped Index (EWI), which has a goal of tracking the MSCI Italy 25/50 Index, outperformed the S&P 500 during the last twelve months, rising 23.3%.
According to the free list of Italy stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are ten Italian stocks that trade regularly in the US, with four of them paying dividends, ranging from 1.1% to 4.9%.
One example is Eni SpA (E), an oil and gas exploration and production company which trades on the New York Stock Exchange with the single letter stock ticker symbol 'E'. The stock trades at 11.1 times trailing earnings and 8.9 times forward earnings. The company pays a generous yield of 4.9%, payable semi-annually. Earnings for the latest quarter ended June 30, 2013 were up 21.1%.
Another dividend paying Italian stock is Luxottica (LUX), which also trades on the New York Stock Exchange. This is the world's largest eyewear company, which sells brands that include Ray-Ban, Chanel, Prada, Giorgio Armani, Burberry, Versace, Vogue, and Donna Karan. The company also owns numerous retail outlets, such as Sunglass Hut International, LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Sears Optical, and many others. The stock has a trailing price to earnings ratio of 34.3, and a forward P/E of 25.6. The dividend yield is 1.1%, payable annually.
Telecom Italia (TI), the largest telecommunications company in Italy, also pays a dividend, generating a yield of 3.0%.
To see all the other major Italian stocks that trade in the United States, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. The list can be downloaded, sorted, and updated.
Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.
By Stockerblog.com

How to Receive Dividends that are Tax Free

It sure would be nice when tax time comes around to realize that much of the dividend income you are receiving is non-taxable. So what kind of tax free dividends are these? First, many master limited partnerships, commonly known as MLPs, pay out dividends that are a return of capital, and are therefore non-taxable. However, these dividends are not really tax free as the tax has to be paid eventually when the investment is sold. MLPs are normally issued by oil and gas companies that are able to shelter the income using depreciation and amortization, which are non-out-of-pocket tax deductions.

However if you are looking for tax free income that is totally tax free, you should consider the municipal bond closed end funds, sometimes referred to as tax-free stocks or tax-free CEFs. These CEFs own municipal bonds that pay interest that is exempt from Federal income taxes and may be exempt from state income 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 its list of over 125 tax-free income CEFs, and more than 100 sporting yields greater than 5%.

There are many advantages besides the tax free income feature to these CEFs. Almost all of them pay dividends monthly, whereas, if you by an individual bond, the interest is paid semi-annually. CEFs have no minimum investment, whereas municipal bonds are sold in $5,000 denominations and many brokers have minimum purchase requirements of $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. In addition, CEFs provide diversification through a group of bonds in the portfolio.

One of the funds that has been around for a while is the Dreyfus Strategic Municipal Bond Fund Inc. (DSM), which was founded in 1989. It currently yields 7.5%, and is selling for a 6.4% discount to Net Asset Value (NAV=the intrinsic value of the shares if the entire fund were liquidated). The fund does use some leverage amounting to 34%, which is far lower than many other tax free CEFs. The management fee is a reasonable 0.50%.

For New Yorkers, there is the PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund (PNF), founded in 2001. The fund yields 7.1%, and trades at a 6.3% discount to NAV. Leverage is 42%, and the management fee is 0.65%. This CEF has the added bonus of seeking to be free of the Alternative Minimum Tax, also known as AMT, for New York residents.

California residents might want to consider the Invesco Van Kampen California Value Municipal Income Fund (VCV), yielding 7.4%. Discount to NAV is 10.5%, with 35% leverage. The company, founded in 1992, charges a management fee of 0.55%. About 5.4% is subject to AMT.

Here are some issues to watch out for before investing in 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

The biggest risk of investing in these funds is a rise in interest rates, which will cause the bonds to fall in price and therefore the CEFs to drop in value.

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

The Gold Ring Scam

I had heard about the gold ring scam but never thought that it would actually be tried on me. I just returned from Paris, France had had the pleasure of the experience.

Here is what the Gold Ring Scam is. As you are walking into or out of a tourist attraction, or just walking along the sidewalk, a woman approaches you and says, "Look, there's a gold ring on the ground." She shows it to you, and the ring has 18K embossed in it. Then she says either she can't use it because its too big or she can't wear it because she doesn't wear jewelry for religious reasons. Then she hands it to you and tells you to take it. Of course, if you do, she asks for a 'finder's fee' of maybe 20 euros. By the way, in case you haven't guessed, the ring it not real gold, just plated.

You may even receive an added bonus; her boyfriend may come up behind you and pick your pocket or purse. When I first read about this scam, I couldn't believe that anyone would fall for it or even that anyone would have the gall to perpetrate it.

So on the third day in Paris, while we were walking along the sidewalk of the Left Bank of La Seine, a woman approached, and as she was passing us, I saw her swing her arm forward, then heard a clink on the ground. She then said, "Look, a gold ring!"

I just thought to myself, "Gimme a break!!!", and I just kept on walking, saying nothing. When we turned around a couple minutes later, we saw her laughing and walking with her boyfriend. So if you are in Paris, and someone says "Look at the gold ring on the ground," just keep on walking. Image courtesy of Boykung / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Top Yielding Gold and Silver Stocks

Marc Faber, the famed investment advisor and fund manager, who has been referred to in the past as 'Doctor Doom', believes that we may be headed to a stock market crash, yet the gold mining stock sector is oversold and worth buying.
Gold and silver mining stocks have recently been depressed but rebounded sharply on Friday. If Faber is correct, then investors can not only achieve capital appreciation on their shares but also dividend income, as yields on these stocks are fairly high, compared to what you could receive from a bank account. Keep in mind though that some of the gold mining companies link their dividends to the price of gold, and even those that don't could easily cut their dividends if the price of bullion continues to drop. According to the free list of high yield gold mining stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are over 20 gold stocks that pay out dividend yields, ranging from 0.4% to over 6%.
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold (FCX) is a major producer in the precious metals sector. The world's largest publicly traded copper company, it also mines for gold, molybdenum, cobalt, silver, and several other metals. This Phoenix, Arizona miner has operations in North America, South America, Indonesia, and Africa. The stock trades at 11.3 times trailing earnings and 10.1 times forward earnings. Earnings for the latest quarter were down 32% on a revenue drop of 4%. The stock pays a very generous 4.0% yield, and dividends are paid quarterly.
Another high yield gold company is Yamana Gold, Inc. (AUY), a Toronto, Ontario, Canada based miner which explores for and produces gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, and silver, from its properties in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Mexico. The stock trades at 22.8 times trailing earnings and 16.6 times forward earnings. The latest quarterly revenues were down 19.6%. The stock pays a CD beating yield of 2.7%. Dividends for this company are also paid out quarterly.
For more of a solver play, there is Silver Wheaton Corp. (SLW), the Vancouver, Canada company which yields 2.1%. The stock has a trailing P/E ratio of 14.5 and a forward P/E of 19.4. Revenues were actually up 3.1% but earnings dropped 9.3%.
The yields on these stocks can help reduce some of the volatility and return your capital quicker. Just remember, that companies can reduce (or increase) their yields at any time. For a list of the other high yield gold and silver mining stocks, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.
Disclosure: Author didn't own any of the above at the time the article was written.
By Stockerblog.com

Image courtesy of ponsulak / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Third Week of August

  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, and can work in flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the technique during bear markets.

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 in the near future. The list contains many dividend paying companies, many with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, and the yield.

Consolidated Edison (ED) 8/12/2013 4.1%

Wisconsin Energy (WEC) 8/12/2013 3.6%

ARMOUR Residential REIT Inc. (ARR) 8/13/2013 18.7%

Bar Harbor Bankshares (BHB) 8/13/2013 3.1%

Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (CLF) 8/13/2013 3.3%

Exelon Corp (EXC) 8/13/2013 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 some of the other high yield stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com. Most of the lists are free.

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 at 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.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Expanded
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 Second Week of August

  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, and can work in flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the technique during bear markets.

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 in the near future. The list contains many dividend paying companies, many with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, and the yield.

First Energy (FE) 8/5/2013 5.8%

NY Community Bancorp (NYCB) 8/5/2013 6.8%

PVR Partners L.P. (PVR) 8/5/2013 8.2%

Southern Copper (SCCO) 8/5/2013 11.8%

Seagate Technology (STX) 8/5/2013 3.4%

Navios Maritime Partners L.P. (NMM) 8/6/2013 11.8%

Westfield Financial (WFD) 8/6/2013 3.3%

American Electric Power (AEP) 8/7/2013 4.2%

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 some of the other high yield stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com. Most of the lists are free.

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 at 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.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Expanded
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