Latest Stock Splits

Although stock splits generally have absolutely nothing to do with how a stock performs, I thought you would be interested in the latest stock splits for last week.

Crescent Banking Company (CSNT) 2 for 1
DC Brands International (DCBR) 1 for 10 reverse
Axtel, S.A.B. de C.V. (AXTLY) 3 for 1
Denbury Resources Inc (DNR) 2 for 1
Iberdrola SA (IBDRY.PK) 4 for 1
CMGI Inc. (CMGI) 1 for 10 reverse

$3/4 Million for a Watch

I stopped wearing a watch after I bought my iPhone. Why have a watch when I have a world clock at the touch of my fingers, plus an alarm clock, a stop watch, and a timer, all in my phone. BillionairesLife.com has found a watch for sale for three quarters of a million dollars. I hadn't realized that high end watches were so expensive, selling for the price of a California house, or for three or four Midwestern houses.

Largest Stem Cell Stocks

Scientists in England are now testing a new treatment for multiple sclerosis using the patients own stem cells, at Frenchay Hospital near Bristol. Research is continuing to determine if it can be used for treatment of diseases such as Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and heart disease.Earlier this year, California gave out $45 million in research grants to various state universities and nonprofit laboratories for stem cell research. Several other states, including Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, and New Jersey, are also funding stem cell research.

According to the web site StemCellsStocks.com, stem cells research involves finding out how organism develops from a single cell and how healthy cells replace damaged cells., which can lead to cell-based therapies to treat various diseases. The advantage that stem cells have over other cells are that they renew themselves for long periods of time from cell division and they can be made to become cells with special functions. Some stem cells can be collected from cord blood.

There are only a limited number of stocks which are pure plays or semi-pure plays in the stem cell industry. Here is a list of the ones with market caps over $300 million.

Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN) This $2.4 billion market cap Connecticut based company is involved in the development of biologic therapeutic products for the treatment of hematologic and cardiovascular disorders, auto-immune diseases, and cancer. The stock has had negative earnings, and the P/S is 147.

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals (ARIA) This Massachusetts $320 million market cap company is involved in the development of treatments for cancer by regulating cell signaling with small molecules. Their cancer products are used to treat sarcomas, hormone refractory prostate cancer, and endometrial cancer. Negative earnings, P/S is 414.

Celera Group (CRA) This NYSE company, founded in 1937, is involved in the discovery and validation of new diagnostic markers, using proprietary genomics and proteomics discovery platforms and diagnostic products. They are in collaboration with Abbott Laboratories, Genentech, General Electric and Merck. The stock has a forward P/E of 156.22, P/S is 24.

Cellgene (CELG) This New Jersey company is involved in the discovery, production, and marketing of therapies designed to treat cancer and immune-inflammatory-related diseases. One of their main products is Thalomid, which is used for the treatment of erythema nodosum leprosum. Last year, the company received patent on placental stem cell recovery. P/E is 190, P/S is 23.5, and a PEG of 1.48.

Dendreon Corporation (DNDN) This $650 million market cap company is involved in the discovery, development, and sales of active immunotherapies, monoclonal antibodies, and small molecule product candidates to treat cancer. They also manufacture the DACSÒSC stem cell enrichment device. The stock has had negative earnings, and a P/S of 847.6.

Geron (GERN) This Menlo Park, California $551 million market cap company develops cell-based therapies derived from human embryonic stem cells used for the treatment of various diseases. The stock has had negative earnings, P/S is 152.

Integra Lifesciences Holdings (IART) This New Jersey $1.28 billion market cap company develops, manufactures, and sells medical devices, implants, biomaterials, and instruments to the neurosurgery, surgery, and soft tissue repair markets. The P/E is 47.12, the P/S is 2.57, and the PEG is 1.23.

Invitrogen Corporation (IVGN) This California $3.78 billion market cap company sells products and services to research institutions, pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies, including tools for gene acquisition, gene cloning, gene expression, and gene analysis techniques. The stock has a forward P/E of 19.65, a P/S of 2.88, and a PEG of 1.51.

LifeCell Corporation (LIFC) This $1.28 billion market cap New Jersey company develops and sells human-derived tissue-based products for use in reconstructive, orthopedic, and urogynecologic surgery. They also produce a three-dimensional structured regenerative human tissue matrix. The stock has a P/E of 50.7, a P/S of 7.78, and a PEG of 5.57.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Apple Selling Pink iPod Shuffle

Apple Inc. (AAPL), which trades on NASDAQ, has released a special pink iPod shuffle, which benefits the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The cost is just $79 and includes a $15 iTunes card.

China Starbucks Replaced

The Starbucks (SBUX) at the the Palace Museum in Beijing was driven out due to criticism about its effect on Chinese culture. It has been replaced with the Forbidden City Cafe.

Airport Billboards: Captive Audience Advertising

A privately held company called Ad-Air has secured locations at many of the largest airports around the world which would have huge advertising on the ground that would be visible to passengers when their plane lands. The ads will be appearing at airports in London Heathrow, Paris, Geneva, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Abu Dhabi.

Worst Hedge Fund Web Site

Footnoted.org has found the worst, most amateurish website of any hedge fund. The web site for the Fahey Fund has a promotion in large text of a musical tour right in the middle of the page. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that this San Francisco hedge fund is under investigation for defrauding investors.

South Africa Stocks: Land of Gold and Diamonds

Some interesting trivia about South Africa:
1. It has the the largest economy in Africa.
2. It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
3. It has 11 official languages.
4. It is ranked 20th of all countries in terms of Gross Domestic Product (Purchasing Power Parity) by the IMF.
5. The JSE Securities Exchange is the largest stock exchange in Africa and the 19th largest in the world.
6. The South African rand is the world's most actively-traded emerging market currency.
7. The rand was the best-performing currency against the U.S. dollar from 2002 to 2005.
8. Agriculture represents 8% of South Africa's total exports.
9. It is ranked 45 out of 125 countries for Global Competitiveness.
10. 50% of all gold ever produced has come from South Africa.

All of the following South African stocks trades either on the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ.

AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. (AU) is a gold mining company with operations in Australia, Brazil, Ghana, West Africa, Mali, Tanzania, and of course South Africa. The stock has a P/E of 37.30, and a PEG of 1.15, with a yield of 0.5%.

Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI) is a gold producer with operations in South Africa, Ghana, Australia, and Venezuela. The stock has a P/E of 31.86, a PEG of 0.91, and a yield of 1.4%.

Harmony Gold Mining Co. Ltd. (HMY) mines and processes gold in gold in South Africa, Australia, and Papua New Guinea. The stock has a P/E of 100.5, and a PEG of 0.44.

Randgold Resources (GOLD), which trades on NASDAQ, mines for gold in Mali and the the Ivory Coast. Although the company is headquartered in the Channel Islands, their procurement and services operations are in Johannesburg, South Africa. The stock has a P/E of 60.45, and a yield of 0.3%.

Sappi Ltd. (SPP), a New York Stock Exchange company, is in the business of manufacturing and marketing of pulp and paper products. The stock has a P/E of 19.23, a PEG of 1.68, and a yield of 1.9%.

Sasol Ltd. (SSL) is an integrated oil and gas company with operations in South Africa, Gabon, and Mozambique. The stock has a P/E of 11.14, a PEG of 0.86, and a yield of 3.7%.

Telkom SA Ltd. (TKG) is a Pretoria based telecommunications company that serves South Africa, and other African countries. The stock has a P/E of 10.47, and a yield of 3.4%.

To see articles on other stocks from countries around the world, check out WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Union Affiliation versus the Dow Jones Industrial Average

Here is a graph showing the number of union members measured in thousands (from the Bureau of Labor Statistics) versus the Dow Jones Industrial Average for the last seven years.

Wall Street Quotation of the Week

"In a bull market your game is to buy and hold until you believe that the bull market is near its end."
~ Jesse Livermore (1877 - 1940), noted stock market trader, made and lost millions of dollars several times

Strange Gum from Japan: Watch Out Wrigley

The Japanese have an unusual selection of chewing gum, with some interesting and very strange flavors. There is Xylish Platinum Mint "Chardonnay" Flavor Gum, No Time Gum (which will automatically clean your teeth), Suplitol Tongkat Ali Gum for Men (which contains "plant testosterone"), Bust Up Gum (for women; you'll have to read the link to see what this gum is supposed to do, but you can probably guess), and several other weird ones.

Maybe Wrigley Co. (WWY) should take notice.

Driverless Cars: A Threat to GM and Ford?

A town in England is experimenting with a driverless car called a Cybercar. The passengers just press a button and the car will take them where they want to go.

Apple Warning RE Hacked iPhones

Apple Inc. (AAPL) issued a warning that iPhones that were unlocked in order to use a carrier other than AT&T (T) may have caused irreversible damage to their phone.

Author owns AAPL and T.

Top 50 Quarterly Dividend Stocks

In a previous post, I wrote about the top monthly dividend stocks. With the extreme market volatility that investors have been experiencing over the last few months, many have been turning to income oriented investments, in order to receive cash flow while waiting for their stocks to go up in value. There are over 50 stocks that pay their dividends quarterly that yield over 9.6%. For purposes of this analysis, closed end funds, real estate investment trusts, limited partnerships and oil income trusts are all considered stocks. Here is a selection of them.

The stock with the lowest price earnings to growth ratio on the list is Deerfield Triarc Capital Corp. (DFR), which has a yield of 19.2%, a PEG of 0.42, and a P/E of 6.1. Deerfield invests in various types of debt instruments including mortgage-backed securities, collateralized debt obligations, consumer asset-backed securities, senior secured loans, and unsecured loans.

The highest yielder on the list is Luminent Mortgage Capital Inc. (LUM), with an outrageously high yield of 78%, which I'm sure isn't sustainable. Luminent is a real estate investment trust [REIT] which invests in adjustable-rate, and fixed rate mortgage-backed securities. The stock has a P/E of 1.7. The stock has a very low capitalization and should be considered extremely speculative.

Fremont General Corporation (FMT) owns Fremont Investment & Loan, a bank which has 22 branches in California. They have one of the lowest P/E ratios on the list at 1.87. Their yield is a generous 11.3%.

If you are looking at forward P/E's, then Newcastle Investment Corp. (NCT) is the stock with a forward price earnings ratio of 5.15. The stock's PEG is 0.9 and the yield is a munificent 17.7%. Newcastle invests in real estate debt such as commercial mortgage backed securities, senior unsecured REIT debt, and real estate related asset backed securities.

One of the largest market cap stocks on the list is Terra Nitrogen Co. LP (TNH), a publicly traded limited partnership which produces and markets nitrogen fertilizer products. They have a market cap of over $2 billion. Their yield is 13% and the stock's P/E is 15.12.

At WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, you can check out all the 50 stocks that pay their dividends quarterly that yield over 9.6% in an Excel format, which you can download, change, and sort.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Crazy Woman stock reported 31% drop in Earnings

Crazy Woman Creek Bancorp Inc. (CRZY.PK) has got to have one of the craziest [no pun intended] names for a publicly traded company that I have ever heard of. I can see having a name like 'Crazy Woman' for a mining company, or maybe an entertainment company, but a bank? Crazy Woman is a bank holding company for Buffalo Federal Savings Bank, which serves the Johnson, Campbell, and Sheridan counties in Wyoming. The stock has a P/E of 18.61. It has a very low market cap, so it should therefore be considered very speculative and illiquid. For their latest reported quarter, they had a 31% drop in earnings on a 9.6% increase in revenues.

If anyone knows of any other publicly traded stocks with very unusual names, please post a comment.

Author does not own this company.

Are Canadian Banks Better than American Banks?

According to the Dominion Bond Rating Service, the exposure of Canadian banks to the American sub-prime mortgage market problem is quite limited. Did you know that during the Great Depression, there were no Canadian bank failures, unlike the United States where there were approximately 9,000 bank failures during the 1930's. Canadian banks have been generating solid earnings and generate decent yields. Here are the largest ones which you might want to put your money into.

Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) is Canada's third-largest bank , founded in 1832 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. It has over 2200 branches. The P/E is 13.15, the PEG is 1.38, and it pays a yield of 3.3%.

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM) was founded in 1867 and is also headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with over 1,000 branches. The stock has a P/E of 1.37, the PEG is 1.14, and the yield is 2.9%.

Royal Bank of Canada (RY) is the largest financial institution in Canada. It was founded in 1864, and has over 1400 branches. The stock's P/E is 13.04, the PEG is 1.62, and the yield is 3.30%.

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) is the second largest bank in Canada, founded in 1855. It has approximately 600 branches. The P/E is 14.79, the PEG is 1.19, and the yield is 2.70%.

Bank of Montreal (BMO) is the oldest bank in Canada and its fourth largest. It was founded in 1817 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with over 960 branches. The P/E is 13.64, the PEG is 1.89, and the stock pays a yield of 4.10%.

To see articles on other stocks from countries around the world, check out WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Connection between Chess and Hip-Hop

All the songs on the "Grandmasters" music album have chess related themes. It was created by Rapper GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan. There is even a Hip-Hop Chess Federation to encourage young people in the San Francisco Bay Area to take up chess.

A Rich Dessert at $14,500

A resort in Sri Lanka is offering the world's most expensive dessert, which has Italian cassata flavored with Irish cream, mango, pomegranate, champagne, chocolate, and an aquamarine gemstone. The price is a mere $14,500.

Fired for Using eBay

Three government workers in great Britain lost their jobs for spending too much time on the eBay (EBAY) web site while they were at their jobs. The unions blamed their bosses for giving the workers temptation by giving them access to the Internet.

Shoe Stocks: Try them on for size

The famous athletic shoe company, Nike (NKE), just reported an increase of over 50% in net income, so investors are starting to look at footwear companies. Here's some interesting trivia. Did you know that the earliest known shoe is from around 7,000 BC. And you would never guess where the shoe was found: California of all places. However, there is evidence that shoes were probably used many thousands of years prior to that time. Here are some footwear stocks that you might want to try on. All have market caps of about one billion dollars or more.

Nike Inc. (NKE) is the largest footwear manufacturer in the country by market cap. Nike's shoes include include running shoes, basketball shoes, soccer shoes, training shoes, urban shoes, and children's shoes. The P/E is 19.76, the PEG is 1.3, and the stock pays a yield of 1.3%.

CROCS Inc. (CROX) is the company that makes the weird looking, but comfortable shoes that are made out of a specialty resin, that comes in many colors. The stock has a P/E of 44.12 and a PEG of 1.08.

Wolverine World Wide Inc. (WWW) makes and sells all kinds of shoes such as casual shoes, dress shoes, outdoor shoes, boots, uniform shoes, work shoes, slippers, and moccasins. Their brands include Harley-Davidson, Hush Puppies, HyTest, Merrell, and Patagonia. The P/E is 17.74, the PEG is 1.27, and the stock pays a yield of 1.3%. [Doesn't this stock have a great stock symbol?]

Deckers Outdoor Corp. (DECK) manufactures and markets outdoor and casual footwear including boots, sandals, and slippers. The P/E is 40.3 and the PEG is 1.24.

Iconix Brand Group Inc. (ICON) owns Bright Star Footwear, Inc. The P/E is 28.13 and the PEG is 1.08.

Timberland Co. (TBL) makes all kinds of shoes including various types of boots, and men's and women's casual shoes and sandals. The P/E is 15.55 and the PEG is 1.5.

Skechers USA Inc. (SKX) designs and sells casual shoes, dress casual shoes, comfort shoes, outdoor shoes, jogging shoes, sport shoes, and sport sandals. The P/E is 13.2 and the PEG is 0.82.

Brown Shoe Co. Inc. (BWS) makes men's, women's, and children's casual, athletic, and dress shoes. The P/E is 15.32, the PEG is 0.53, and the stock pays a yield of 1.3%.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

T. Boone Pickens Investing in Green Energy

T. Boone Pickens, the famous trader who specializes in petroleum, is now getting into in green energy. He was co-founder of Clean Energy Fuels Corp., a builder of natural gas filling stations. He is also investing in a Texas based 4,000-megawatt wind farm.

Steve Wozniak Criticizes Apple for iPhone Price Drop

Steve 'Woz' Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple (AAPL), said that the quick price drop of the Apple iPhone was "too soon" and "too harsh."

The Stock Exchange Shuttle

This is what you call an exchange. The Dubai stock exchange will buy OMX, the Nordic stock exchange (stock markets in Stockholm, Iceland, Copenhagen and Helsinki), then it will sell its entire ownership in it to NASDQAQ (NDAQ). At the close of this transaction, Borse Dubai will own 20% of Nasdaq and 28% of the London Stock Exchange (LDNXF.PK). To top it all off, the country of Qatar just bought a 20% of the London Stock Exchange.

The Halloween Indicator

In case you haven't heard of the Halloween Indicator, which is sometimes referred to as the 'Sell in May and Go Away Indicator', it says that November through April is the best time to invest with the period of May to October being relatively flat or having a much lower return. This effect was actually analyzed by a researcher in New Zealand and a researcher in the Netherlands a few years ago. They discovered that the indicator actually worked in 36 of the 37 stock markets that they studied, and in England, the indicator was in effect since 1694!!!

Dutch East India Stock dated 1689 for Sale

A stock certificate from the oldest multinational company in the world, the Dutch East India Company, is for sale at a European auction house, booneshares.com, which is having its 39th live auction and international bourse of historic stocks & bonds in Belgium. The Dutch East India stock certificate is dated 1689, is extremely rare, and has a minimum reserve bid price of 20,000 euros or $27,740, although it will probably sell for much more. The auction will be held on September 29 and 30.

If you are interested in rare collectible stock certificates, how about a multiple Disney signature stock certificate or a Houdini signed stock certificate, both offered by antiquestocks.com.

Author is part owner of antiquestocks.com

Jim Cramer Agrees with Stockerblog about ATT

On Jim Cramer's Mad Money TV show today, Cramer had a big segment on AT&T (T) including an interview of the company's CFO Rick Lindner. Cramer called AT&T a growth company with a dividend and said AT&T is "sexy". Back on July 24, I wrote an article called "Why AT&T Stock Could Be Up Substantially by Year End", giving 12 positive features of the company.

I own AT&T stock and unfortunately I sold part of my position over the last few days including today, at a slight profit. However, I plan to hold the balance of the shares for a while.

Author owns T.

Zimbabwe Inflation Rate Dropped to 6,592.8%

Thank goodness, Zimbabwe's inflation rate is down; it is down to 6,592.8% for the month of August, down from 7,634.8% for the month of July which is its all time high, and the highest inflation rate in the world. President Robert Mugabe implemented price controls in June.

Stockbroker Charged with Throwing Man and Exercycle into Wall

A New York City stockbroker was charged with assault because he allegedly threw a man and the cycle he was on into a wall at the Upper East Side gym. The stockbroker claimed that the other man was making too much noise in the spin class, a stationary bike high impact exercise.

Carbon Ratings for 9 Companies

Nine companies have signed up to measure the carbon footprint of certain of their products. The companies include Coca Cola (KO), Cadbury Schweppes (CSG), and Scottish & Newcastle (SNCWF.PK).

Halloween Stocks: Tricks or Treats

Halloween has been practiced in the United States since the 1800's, brought over by the Celts of Ireland and Great Britain. It was originally called Samhain. Halloween is practiced in United States, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Canada, and occasionally in Australia and New Zealand. Here are some stocks which may benefit from the holiday, but beware; there may be more tricks than treats.

One of the popular activities of teenagers on Halloween is watching a horror movie, either in a theater or renting a video or DVD. One of the leading studios of scary movies is Lions Gate Entertainment (LGF), which has made such films as American Psycho, Ginger Snaps, Route 666, The Devil's Rejects, House of the Dead 2, Saw III, See No Evil, Hostel: Part II, and many, many more. Lionsgate has a forward P/E of 32.39, and reported a 15.2% increase in revenues for the latest reported quarter.

Of course, the big beneficiaries of Halloween are the candy companies. Hershey Foods (HSY) is a large chocolate and confectionery company made famous by its Hershey Bars. The stock has a P/E of 24.74, a PEG of 2.2, and a yield of 2.6%.

Cadbury Schweppes (CSG) is a London based confectionery and beverage company which was founded in 1783. The stock has a P/E of 23.27, a PEG of 3.05, and a yield of 2.6%.

William Wrigley Jr. Co. (WWY) not only makes chewing gum which it is famous for but also mints, candies, and other candy products. The stock has a P/E of 29.45, a PEG of 2.66, and a yield of 1.9%.

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (RMCF) is a very low cap Colorado based company which makes and markets chocolate and candy. The stock has a P/E of 21.77 and a yield of 2.4%.

Tootsie Roll Industries (TR) makes all kinds of candy for trick-or-treaters including Tootsie Rolls, Tootsie Roll Pops, Caramel Apple Pops, Charms, Blow-Pops, Blue Razz, Zip-A-Dee Pops, Cella's, Mason Dots, Mason Crows, Junior Mint, Charleston Chew, Sugar Daddys, and Sugar Babies. The stock has a P/E of 24.48 and a yield of 1.2%.

Costumes and decorations are available at discount stores such as Target (TGT) and Wal-Mart (WMT). Target has a P/E of 19.59, a PEG of 1.21, and a yield of 0.9%. Wal-Mart has a P/E of 14.89, a PEG of 1.17, and a yield of 2%.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Small Country Economy Increases 10% from Domain Name

The tiny country of Tokelau in the South Pacific has sold the rights to its domain extension, .TK, and receives 10% of all advertising income from its registered web pages. This has caused their GDP to increase by 10%, and the number of computers in the country has gone from 12 to 200.

Belgium for Sale on eBay

A Belgian teacher/journalist decided to sell the country of Belgium on eBay (EBAY), due to all the political issues going on there, and concerns about a breakup. eBay decided to keep the listing posted until the bidding reached $14 million, when it then decided to pull it. eBay is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

The Emmy Awards Stocks

The Emmy Award is the TV equivalent of the Oscar Award for movies. Emmys have been awarded since 1949. Sunday night was the Emmy Awards celebration for 2007 and a couple of entertainment companies received many awards, but a few didn't do so well.

The company at the top of the list was General Electric (GE), which took home eight awards through its 80% ownership of NBC Universal, which owns the NBC, USA and Bravo networks. NBC garnered several awards including 30 Rock for Outstanding Comedy Series. Their USA channel grabbed an award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie that went to Judy Davis in The Starter Wife. Their Bravo channel also received an Outstanding Reality Program which was granted to Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List. General Electric has a P/E of 19.41, a PEG of 1.73, and pays a yield of 2.8%.

Walt Disney Co. (DIS), owner of ABC, tied for second place, with six awards, including James Spader in Boston Legal, who won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Sally Field in Brothers & Sisters who won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, and America Ferrera, the star of Ugly Betty, who won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. The stock has a P/E of 15.4, a PEG of 1.28, and pays a yield of 0.9%.

The company that tied with Disney was Time Warner Inc. (TWX), which owns HBO, also a recipient of six awards. HBO won awards for The Sopranos as Outstanding Drama, and Ricky Gervais in Extras for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. The stock has a P/E of 11.34, a PEG of 1.38, and pays a yield of 1.3%.

Next was Cablevision Systems Corp. (CVC), which owns AMC, winner of three Emmys, including Robert Duvall in Broken Trail for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie. The stock has a P/E of 47.74 and a PEG of 10.84.

CBS Corp. (CBS), the purest network television play, did very poorly, with only one award for The Amazing Race as Outstanding Reality/Competition Program. The stock has a P/E of 18.46, a PEG of 1.97, and pays a yield of 3.2%.

Viacom, Inc. (VIA-B), owner of Comedy Central, also didn't do so well, with just one award for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart as Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series. The stock has a P/E of 17.56 and a PEG of 1.18.

Last but not least was News Corp. (NWS-A), owner of FOX, which didn't win any awards, however, they were the ones who broadcast the Emmys. The stock has a P/E of 19.28, a PEG of 0.92, and pays a yield of 0.6%.

Author owns DIS and TWX.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Ron Paul Second Most Searched For Person

According to a report in an article in Wired.com, presidential candidate Dr. Ron Paul is the second most searched for human being on Technorati after Paris Hilton. Congressman Paul is extremely popular among Silicon Valley professionals.

Man Dies of Internet Overdose?

A man in Beijing, China died after playing Internet games for three days straight. The man was only 30 years old when he collapsed in an Internet cafe.

$3/4 Million for Barry Bonds Ball

The bidding finally ended for the 756th home run ball of Barry Bonds that was caught by a man from New York. The ball, which was sold by SCP Auctions, was hammered at $752,467 including commission. Although not a world's record, it ended much higher than observers were first anticipating.

Wall Street 20th Anniversary

Did you know that it is the 20th Anniversary of Wall Street? The movie, that is. This was the famous Oliver Stone 'greed' movie staring Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen. The 20th Anniversary Edition is now available.

Steel and Iron Stocks: Are They Getting Stronger?

The smelting of iron began in the second millennium BC. The first making of steel is believed to have taken place in 1400 BC, in East Africa. Now investors are looking at iron and steel as an infrastructure play. All of the following have market caps in excess of $6 billion.

Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (RIO) is a Rio de Janeiro, Brazil company that produces and markets iron ores and pellets to the steel manufacturing industry. They also produce nickel, copper, platinum, gold, silver, coal, and bauxite. The stock has a P/E of 13.67, a PEG of 7.27, and a yield of 1.2%.

Rio Tinto plc (RTP) is a company that mines for everything from iron ore to aluminum to copper to diamonds to coal to talc. Although they are based in London, they have operations in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. This $300 per share stock has a P/E ratio of 13.45, a PEG of 0.51, and a yield of 1.4%.

Arcelor Mittal (MT) is a Dutch based company that is in the business of producing and marketing steel. They have operations in North and South America, western and eastern Europe, and Africa. The stock has a P/E of 10.43, a PEG of 1.01, and a yield of 1.6%.

POSCO (PKX) is a Seoul, South Korea based company that manufactures and markets steel products throughout Korea. The stock has a P/E of 14.53, a PEG of 1.73, and a yield of 1.1%.

Tenaris SA (TS) is a Luxembourg based manufacturer and marketer of steel pipe products. It has a P/E of 13.45, a PEG of 2.23, and 1.3%.

Nucor Corp. (NUE) is the Charlotte, North Carolina based company that makes and markets steel and steel products. The P/E is 10.51, the PEG is 1.5, and the yield is 0.8%.

Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (SID) is a large Sao Paulo, Brazil based steel producer. The stock has a P/E of 14.5 and a yield of 4.1%.

Gerdau S.A. (GGB) is yet another Brazil based producer of crude steel and steel products. The stock has a P/E of 10.62, a PEG of 7.41, and a yield of 2.5%.

Mechel (MTL) is a Moscow, Russia based producer of steel, coal, and iron ore. The stock has a P/E of 8.7 and a PEG of 1.62.

Ternium S.A. (TX) is another Luxembourg based producer of flat steel and long steel products. The stock has a P/E of 6.99, a PEG of 0.74, and a yield of 1.6%.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Christie's Closing Vintage Car Division

International Motor Cars department of the famous auction house, Christie's, will close at the end of the month. They have been selling collectible cars since 1972.

'Easy Rider' Memorabilia to be Auctioned

Do you remember 'Easy Rider', the classic movie from 1969 with Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Nicholson? Peter Fonda is planning to auction some of the items from the movie including the American flag taken from the back of his jacket that he wore in the movie, which is expected to sell for around $50,000. Other items to be auctioned include posters and a soundtrack gold record album.

A Basic Lesson in Economics

Here is something I received in my email recently, in case you haven't seen it:

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do.

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. 'Since you are all such good customers,' he said, 'I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beers by $20. Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.'

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?' They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.


And so:

The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing
(100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% saving s).

Each of the six was better off than before and the first four continued to drink for free, but once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings. 'I only got a dollar out of the $20, 'declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,' but he got $10!' 'Yeah, that's right,' exclaimed the fifth man. 'I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got TEN times more than I!'

'That's true!!' shouted the seventh man. 'Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!'

'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison. 'We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!'

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something very important....they didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics
University of Georgia

For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible!

Warren Buffett on TV Ad on YouTube: Wall Street Video of the Week

Warren Buffett appeared on a television advertisement for Omaha. You can see the 30 second ad on YouTube.

Quote of the Week

"Many people think that if they were only in some other place, or had some other job, they would be happy. Well, that is doubtful. So get as much happiness out of what you are doing as you can and don't put off being happy until some future date."

~ Dale Carnegie

iPhone Part 2: Free Music

The number of features that the Apple (AAPL) iPhone provides far exceeded my expectations. For example, I discovered a nice benefit while I was walking my dog. I had the iPhone with me along with the stereo headset, when I remembered that I hadn't transferred or downloaded any music to the phone yet. However, the iPhone does have Google's (GOOG) YouTube built in. You don't even have to go through the built in Safari Internet connection. I just clicked in the little TV icon which opened YouTube, clicked on the Search icon, and typed in Sheryl Crow. Sure enough, there were dozens of choices to pick from. Not only could I listen to her music, I could also watch her music video. Whether it is Elvis Presley or 50 Cent, you can find just about any performer.

Other nice features of the iPhone are the instantaneous weather views. You can check the current temperature and the projections for the next several days, and see other cities just by flicking your finger across the screen from right to left as if your are turning a page. Or you can move your finger along the bottom from left to right to see each city. It comes with the city of Cupertino, California already set up, but you can add whatever cities you want.

Of course, there is a notepad, a calculator, and numerous other features which I will cover in a future article.

In case you missed iPhone Part 1, you can check it out here.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Get a Degree in YouTube?

A liberal arts college in Southern California, Pitzer College , is offering a course in YouTube, in the media studies department. The class will be a combination of in the classroom and online. YouTube is owned by Google (GOOG). I've taught courses in Googling, and I've seen courses in eBaying (EBAY). How about courses in MySpacing or Facebooking?

You Will Never Guess What This is a Chart of

You would probably never guess in a million years what this is a graph of. I drive by a large Kmart store almost every day. This is a chart of the number of spaces away from the front entrance to the store that the first empty parking space is (handicapped spaces are excluded). This is data from a little over a month.

Kmart, which is owned by Sears Holdings (SHLD), has improved in terms of the layout and cleanliness of the store, employees are around when you need them and very friendly and helpful. With the few times I've been in there during the last few months, I've never had to wait in line to check out. The problem is that there is that I've hardly ever seen any customers in there. I remember the days when you would be lucky to find a parking space within nine or ten spaces from the front; now it's about an average of three. I thought business would have picked up just before school started, but I guess not.

I'm not sure if more people are buying their music CD's, DVD's, and small appliances from Amazon.com (AMZN), and their clothes online from American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (AEO), Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF), Gap Inc. (GPS), or J. Crew Group, Inc. (JCG), but they have definitely lost business.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Foreclosure Capital of the US

If you are interested in knowing where the greatest percentage of foreclosures are taking place, it is Stockton, California, where supposedly one out of every 27 houses is in foreclosure.

Internet Electricity Auction

250 megawatts of power generation capacity will be auctioned off on the Internet by the electricity division of EON AG (EONGY.PK). This German based energy company used to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange with the symbol EON, but like numerous other foreign companies in the last couple years, it decided to drop its listing and now trades on the Pink Sheets.

iPhone Part 1: the iPhone Portfolio

Yes, I bought an iPhone a few weeks ago. Yes, I paid $599 for it. Yes, I am upset about the $200 price drop. But I couldn’t do without the iPhone, and needed it when I bought it. By the way, if you bought one within 14 days of the price drop, you can get a $200 rebate. If you bought it between 14 and 30 days prior, there is an involved way you can get the $200 back, but the process is a hassle and not really moral, so I'm not going to tell you how to do it (the key is 30 days). I'm certainly not going to do it.

Anyway, why did I get the iPhone? The instantaneous access to stock quotes of course. Is there any other reason to own an iPhone? By pressing the little blue icon with the stock chart on it, it gives a list of stock symbols, current price delayed by 20 minutes, and the increase or decrease from the previous day's close. When you turn on your iPhone for the first time, you automatically get several stock tickers already entered. The first quote on the list is the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Second on the list is Apple Inc. (AAPL), of course. A hacker group called the iPhone Dev Team has just announced that they have a software patch that can be downloaded to the phone which will allow it to communicate with any telecommunications carrier without any hardware adjustment. Apple has a price earnings ratio of 38.7 and a price earnings to growth ratio of 1.54.

Next on the list is Google (GOOG). Google's GMail is one of the featured email services in the iPhone. The Canadian government just announced that Google Maps Street Views may violate California privacy laws. Google has a P/E of 42.47 and a PEG of 1.01.

After Google is Yahoo (YHOO), the provider of the other primary iPhone email service. Yahoo just started publicly testing a new feature called MapMixer, which allows users to overlay millions of maps from the Internet onto the same place on Yahoo Maps. Yahoo has a P/E of 45.84 and a PEG of 2.33.

Last but not least of the pre-installed stock symbols is AT&T (T), Apple's chosen service provider for the iPhone. AT&T just won the 2007 U.S. CXOs' Choice Award for Overall Best Wireless Service Provider, which means that it is the wireless service of choice among top executives, also known as C-level executives (e.g. chief executive officers, chief operating officers, chief financial officers). AT&T has a P/E of 20.5 and a PEG of 1.83. It also pays a yield of 3.7%.

Tomorrow, I will post an article about some of the other features of the iPhone including a way to get free songs to listen to, without having to install or download them, a procedure which is moral and legal. Stay tuned.

Author owns AAPL, GOOG, and T.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Stretch Limo Ferrari with Gullwings

Here is an item to spend your stock market profits on, a Ferrari 360 Modena stretch limo with gull wings. It sells for a reasonable $200.000. Ferrari is owned by FIAT (FIATY.PK), which trades in the United States on the Pink Sheets.

Adulterers Website

When will this company go 'public'? A company in France called Ibila has a website where you can set up an account to fake a phone from work or generate a fictitious invitation to a business conference.

Check your Info: Yahoo v. Google

I happened to run a Yahoo (YHOO) Finance screen, using their html screener, on the stocks with the lowest P/E ratio, and it showed Brasil Telecom S.A. (BTM), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, as having a P/E of 0.01. I checked the key statistics for the stock on Yahoo, and it said the company had revenues per share of 30,408 and earnings per share of 1,968. Maybe it's because they show the number of shares outstanding as 182K or 182,000.

I then checked Google (GOOG) Finance, and for the same company they had a P/E of 13.23, earnings per share of 1.98, and number of shares outstanding of 182.42M or 182,000,000. This P/E is still favorable, but if a metric or statistic looks too good to be true, such as the one shown on Yahoo, check it out with another source.

Aluminum Stocks: the most abundant metal in the world

Aluminum is used in the following industries:
Aerospace
Cars, trucks, trains, planes, ships
CD's
Cookware
Doors, siding, window frames
Cans and cooking foil
Electrical transmission lines
Fireworks
Heat sinks
Knives and swords
Magnets
Paint
Water treatment

Here is a wrap-up of aluminum stocks worth looking at. All of the following have market caps in excess of $600 million.

Alcan, Inc. (AL) is the second largest aluminum company in the world by sales. It is also the largest aluminum company in Canada. The Canadian Competition Bureau recently approved the friendly takeover of the company by Rio Tinto (RTP). The stock has a P/E of 19.4, a PEG of 1.06, and a small yield of 0.8%.

Alcoa Inc. (AA) is the third largest aluminum producer in the world. The stock has a P/E of 13.14, a PEG of 1.04, and a decent yield of 2%.

Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd. (ACH) is involved in the production and marketing of alumina and aluminum in China. The stock has a P/E of 4.79, a PEG of 1.44, and a high yield of 4.5%.

Century Aluminum Co. (CENX) is a Monterrey, California based company which is a producer of aluminum in North America. The P/E is 28.18 and the PEG is 0.91.

Quanex Corp. (NX) has an aluminum sheet building products division, and makes vehicle and building products. The stock has a P/E of 11.93, a PEG of 0.81, and a yield of 1.3%.

Kaiser Aluminum Corp. (KALU) is a California based producer of fabricated aluminum products, that has been in business since 1946. The stock has a forward P/E of 12.81, a PEG of 0.83, and a yield of 0.3%.

Tredegar Corp. (TG) is a Richmond, Virginia based company which produces aluminum extrusions used for numerous types of personal and household care products. The stock has a P/E of 16.13, and a yield of 0.9%.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Book Review: An American Hedge Fund

If you are a stock trader or even just a regular investor that has an interest in stock trading, you will find the book An American Hedge Fund: How I Made $2 Million as a Stock Operator & Created a Hedge Fund by Timothy Sykes a very fascinating read. He was the 18 year old who turned a $12,400 gift into $1.65 million in just three years, all from stock trading.

One of the things I like about the book is that he covers all his major trades in great detail, not just covering what he did and how it turned out, but why he chose to make the trades he did and what the decision making process was going into the trades. It's wasn't only the successful trades that he covers but the unsuccessful ones also.

He also gives a lot of biographical background, reviewing how he got interested in investing and how his success in trading led him to start his own hedge fund. His trials and tribulations of getting the hedge fund off the ground and bringing in new money is captivating.

This is a great book about trading; I could hardly put it down. This is right up there with Confessions of a Street Addict as one of my all-time favorite books about stock traders. Not only is it enlightening and interesting, but it is also entertaining. It will be released in October, but can be pre-ordered through Amazon.com.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Starbucks Russia

The first Starbucks (SBUX) coffee shop in Russia is now open. The company won a squatter trademark store there and opened up shop in a town north of Moscow.

Disney Star PosesNude

The star of the popular Disney (DIS) movie "High School Musical," Vanessa Hudgens, appearednude in a picture on the Internet. Disney, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, is standing by her after she made an apology. They will continue to use her for the third "High School Musical" movie.

Cambodia Stock Market

China has a stock market. Vietnam has a stock market. Now Cambodia wants to get in on the action. The government plans to set up a stock market in the next couple years.

Chinese Stock Market Surpasses Japanese Market in Size

The Chinese Stock Market has now surpassed the Japanese Stock Market in terms of market capitalization of all companies traded, if you include Hong Kong as part of China.

Chinese Students Taught 'Don't Invest in Stock Market'

A Chinese provincial government has advised schools to teach its students not to invest in the stock market, since losing money in the market can cause 'social instability'.

Southwest Air Kicks Mini-Skirted Woman Off Plane

A Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) flight from San Diego to Arizona, asked a woman with a very short skirt to leave the plane. The 23 year old student was told that she dressed inappropriately for a family airline, according to her. If you want to see a video of this woman wearing the same skirt, click here.

$1.8 million: Two Seats in a Synagogue

Two front row seats in a synagogue in Miami, Florida are being auctioned off on eBay (EBAY). The starting bid is $1.8 million.

Copper Stocks: Not a Penny Ante Metal

Copper seems to be the forgotten precious metal. About nine months ago, I wrote about how the value of copper in a penny is worth more than a penny and that the government put a restriction on the export of the coins. Of course copper had many uses besides coinage. It is used in electronics, piping, roofing, statues, cookware, musical instruments, fire extinguishers, and biotech compounds. Here are some copper stocks that might make some cents.

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (FCX) is the largest copper mining company, but it also mines for gold and silver, and has its primary operations in Indonesia. This Phoenix, Arizona based company has a P/E of 10.66, a PEG of 0.9, and a yield of 1.4%.

Southern Copper Corp. (PCU) is another Phoenix based copper mining company that also mines for molybdenum, zinc, and silver in Peru, Mexico, and Chile. The stock has a P/E of 12.56 and a fairly high yield of 5.8%.

Sterlite Industries India Ltd. (SLT) is a company that produces copper in and is based in India. They also mine for bauxite and zinc. The stock has a P/E of 7.04.

Peru Copper Inc. (CUP) explores for copper in Peru. This American Stock Exchange company, which has a market cap of 827 million, has been generating negative earnings.

Taseko Mines Ltd. (TGB) explores for and develops copper mines in British Columbia. The company has a market cap of 575 million and a P/E of 12.32.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

A Horse Powered Car: Watch out GM and Ford

Now I've seen everything. I don't think it will put General Motors (GM) or Ford (F) out of business, but a company called Fleethorse has produced a vehicle called Natormobil, which is powered solely by a horse walking on a treadmill in the back of the car. The company claims that it complies with animal rights activists concerns regarding the health and safety of the horse.

I assume that as an environmentally conscious vehicle with a horse, it would also produce its own methane gas.

Silver Stocks: The Baby Golds?

With all the concerns about the economy recently, many investors have turned to gold, driving up the price per ounce and the price of gold mining stocks. Over the last few days, the price of silver has been moving up. Maybe its time to see if there are any shining opportunities in the silver mining and production industry. All of these stocks have market caps over $900 million.

Silver Wheaton Corp. (SLW) is a Vancouver, British Columbia based silver production company, that trades on the New York Stock Exchange, which gets its silver from Mexico Sweden, and Peru. This $2.75 billion market cap company has a P/E of 31.61 and a PEG of 4.4.

Silver Standard Resources Inc. (SSRI) another Vancouver based company, which trades on NASDAQ, that buys, explores for, develops, and mines for silver in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, Peru, and the United States. The company has a market cap of slightly over $2 billion. Earnings have been negative.

Pan American Silver Corp. (PAAS), which trades on NASDAQ, explores for and mines for silver, copper, zinc, lead, and gold in Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, United States and Argentina. The company has a market cap of $2 billion, and the stock has a P/E of 24.01, with a PEG of 0.95.

Apex Silver Mines Ltd. (SIL) is based in the Cayman Islands and explores and develops silver mining properties in Bolivia, Peru, Argentina, and Mexico. The company has a market cap of $1 billion and earnings have been negative.

Coeur d'Alene Mines Corp. (CDE) is a mining company that has been around since 1928 and mines for silver, gold, lead, and zinc all over the world. The P/E is 15.78 and the PEG is 0.81. It's market cap is almost $1 billion.

Hecla Mining Co. (HL) is another old line mining company that has been around since 1891. They mine for silver, gold, lead, and zinc in Idaho, Alaska, Venezuela, and Mexico. Their P/E is 17.75 and the market cap is about $950 million.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Silver nugget picture courtesy of the U.S. Government.

BombSniffing Bees: Unique Stock of the Week

Here is company that is in a unique business, Inscentinel, which is a British biotech company that is producing detectors that utilize bees to sniff for explosives and drugs. Unfortunately, you can't buy the stock of this company in the United States.

Fly Singapore to Sydney: Only $100,000

A bidder on eBay (EBAY) paid over a $100,000 for two seats on on the first commercial flight of the Airbus A380 from Singapore to Sydney. This is the largest passenger airplane in the world.

What Stock has the ATT Stock Symbol

Many new investors are under the mistaken assumption that the stock ticker symbol 'ATT' is the symbol for the regular AT&T common stock; unfortunately, that is a big mistake. Their symbol is 'T', and has been for several years. A few days ago, when I knew that AT&T (T) dropped in price, I saw an article on Yahoo Finance which discussed the company and noticed in the little graph box on the upper right that ATT was up and wondered how that could be possible. I then noticed that the chart was referring to the 'ATT' stock symbol, not the ATT stock.

If you type ATT into Yahoo (YHOO) Finance, it shows it referring to a company called AT with no profile and no statistics displayed. If you enter it in Google (GOOG) Finance, it shows it referring to AT&T INC, with, again, no profile and no financials. It did have some interesting discussion board topics, such as "This is not the AT&T your looking for....", "What is this stock?", and a new investor poster had bought some of the stock and after realizing it wasn't the "real AT&T", wanted to know how to get out of it. Fortunately, another poster told him to just tell his stock brokerage firm to sell it (although over the last few days, he would have been better off in ATT than T).

I checked the New York Stock Exchange (NYX) website and even the AT&T (T) website, without any enlightenment. I finally discovered that ATT is the stock symbol for a senior note debt offering at a rate of 6.375% due 2056 issued by AT&T Inc. in February of 2007. Interest is paid on February 15, May 15, August 15 and November 15. The Senior Notes may be redeemed at any time on or after February 15, 2012 at 100% of the principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date.

These listed traded senior notes are what I refer to as minibonds or microbonds. They are bonds that are traded just like stocks on the NYSE or American Stock Exchange for around $25 per share. They are very similar to preferred stocks except that they pay interest instead of dividends and they generally have a specific maturity date. They are also referred to as PINES (Public Income Notes) or QUIBS (Quarterly Interest Bonds) or QUICS (Quarterly Income Capital Securities) or QUIDS (Quarterly Income Debt Securities).

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

The Revenues per Employee Ratio

I heard about the Revenues per Employee Ratio at an investment luncheon many years ago, where the CFO of a mid cap company was explaining why his company was so superior to their large cap competitors, because they could bring in so much more per employee. Occasionally I read about this ratio but not very often. I decided to do a quick analysis of a few large oil and gas companies to see what their revenues per employee was and if there was any correlation to their return for the last 52 weeks. I also checked the net income per employee. The stocks I used were ConocoPhillips (COP), Exxon Mobile (XOM), Chevron (CVX), BP (BP), and Total (TOT), a large French petroleum and natural gas company. Here is what I found:

Revenues per Employee:


Net Income per Employee:


You will notice that in general, the higher the revenue or income per employee, the higher the return. Maybe this warrants further investigation.

Please note: the blue line is not a trend line. The points on the line represent the 52 week return for that particular stock. I was in a rush to create these and couldn't get Excel to create two columns side-by-side with a separate axis for each.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Exploding iPhone; Wall Street Picture of the Week

One hacker tried to open up the case of an Apple (AAPL) iPhone, and unfortunately the lithium-ion battery was shorted and the iPhone exploded. I don't think it is going to be covered under warranty.

Rock Star CEO's

Did you happen to see the article in the Wall Street Journal about how the lives of major CEO's can affect the companies they work for and the stock? Deaths in the family can have a significant effect. But one of most significant results of the study is that if the CEO has an extremely large mansion, their stock will underperform the market - the narcissistic correlation. There is also an effect on how big the CEO's picture is in the company's annual report with regard to stock price.

Zune Dropped Their Price: Does Anyone Care?

Microsoft (MSFT), which trades on NASDAQ, has dropped the price of its Zune, the digital music player. The retail price is now just $199.

Toy Stocks

With the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalling about 700,000 toys for having excessive lead paint, investors are looking more closely at the toy industry, trying to determine who is affected the most by the recalls and looking for bargains from over-reaction. Most of the lead paint toys came from factories in China. Here are a few toy companies that you may want to play with, all of which have market caps over $300 million.

Mattel (MAT) is the El Segundo, California based company that is considered to be the largest toy company in the world. It is best known for its Barbie dolls. They had 675,000 Barbie accessories recalled, along with 90,000 locomotive toys. Previously, Mattel recalled 967,000 Elmo, Big Bird and other character toys. The stock has a P/E of 15.34, a PEG of 1.44, and a yield of 3%.

Hasbro Inc. (HAS) is the second largest toy company in the world, and is best known for its Monopoly board game. They recalled Easy Bake ovens a couple months ago. The stock has a P/E of 18.94, a PEG of 1.43, and a yield of 2.3%.

RC2 Corp. (RCRC) manufactures and sells toys, collectibles, and products for infants. Their brands include Winnie the Pooh, John Deere, Nickelodeon, and Sesame Street. They recalled 1.5 million painted wood railroad toys in June. The stock has a P/E of 23.48 and a yield of 1.05%.

JAKKS Pacific Inc. (JAKK) is a Malibu, California based company which makes a wide range of toys, with a specialty in action figures. Their licensed brands include World Wrestling, Rocky, Pokemon, and SpongeBob. The stock has a P/E of 9.93 and a PEG of 0.91.

Russ Berrie & Co., Inc. (RUS) is a New Jersey company that manufactures and distributes infant and juvenile consumer products, along with gifts, including bears, stuffed animals, and soft toys. Their P/E ratio is a high 71.66.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc. (BBW) is a St. Louis, Missouri company that is a retailer of stuffed bears and animals, along with clothing for the animals. The stock has a P/E of 12.58 and a PEG of 2.44.

Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (MVL) has a huge library of about 5,000 characters, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Captain America, The Fantastic Four, and X-Men, which it license out. They also have a toy division which makes character toys such as Spider-Man and Curious George. The P/E is 19.48 and the PEG is 0.85.

Author owns MAT.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

What's With Yahoo Finance?

Over the weekend, Yahoo Finance displayed a new home page (for the worse, in my opinion). Now it has switched back to the 'classic' view with a message at the top that says Yahoo! Finance has a whole new look. Get a sneak preview. I hope they keep the old view, at least as an option.

Another Weird Auction Item

In October, Heritage Auctions of Texas plans to auction off a lock of Che Guevara's hair. It is being sold by a CIA operative who helped capture Guevara.

'Spider-man' Suit may become a Reality

A suit of clothing and gloves may allow you to climb vertical walls of buildings like a gecko is in the realm of possibility according to scientists. Spider-man was made famous as a character in Marvel Comics, a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (MVL), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange. Spider-Man was made even more famous by the series of Spider-Man movies, distributed by Columbia Pictures, a subsidiary of Sony (SNE), which also trades on the NYSE.

Hackers Using Google's Blogger

Hackers are using the Google (GOOG) blog posting service Blogger to post fake blog posts with links to downloads which can hijack computers. Some of the hackers have found a way into the mail2blogger accounts, and some just set up 'fake' blogs with booby-trapped links.

By the way, I use Blogger, I have checked all my links and I don't use mail2blogger.

Cigarette Packs to have Really Gross Warning Pictures

If you saw a picture of a young dead man lying on a metal tray, a baby in an intensive care unit, or a closeup of open heart surgery on a pack of cigarettes, would it stop you from smoking? This is what is scheduled to happen in the United Kingdom by 2009 as 25% of all UK adults are smokers. Some of these anti-smoking images at this link are very disturbing and gross.

If the British government is getting that aggressive in stopping smoking, then it could certainly impact British American Tobacco plc (BTI) and Altria Group Inc. (MO). It might even be a problem for Reynolds American Inc. (RAI), Carolina Group (CG), and Vector Group Ltd. (VGR) if this campaign spreads to the United States.

Yahoo Finance versus Google Finance

What is going on with Yahoo Finance, the Yahoo (YHOO) investment web site? They have changed the Finance home page dramatically, and for the worse. I tried looking for their stock screener, couldn't find it anywhere even after clicking around on a lot of links. The word 'screener' didn't appear anywhere on the page.

I finally had to go to Yahoo Search, type in 'Yahoo Finance screener', and the first result I clicked on brought me to their old html screener. After clicking a couple other link results, I finally got to their Java screener. What a hassle.

The Yahoo Finance home page doesn't have the Industry link either, and I couldn't even fine 'Industry' on the page either. I've also noticed a few other strange quirks with it; for example, I've notices for several stocks, the P/E ratio on the stock front page doesn't match the forward or trailing P/E on the Key Statistics page. Same problem occasionally with the dividend.

Have you looked at Google Finance provided by Google (GOOG)? It is still in beta, but it has several interesting features. First, as you type in the name of a company or stock symbol, it automatically gives you a pop-over which lists various suggestions based on what you are typing. It has a lot more detailed information on non-US stocks from around the world.

Minor disadvantages of Google Finance are that it doesn't show all the popular ratios that Yahoo does, such as the PEG. For foreign stocks, it shows profit margin and operating margin information, but not the P/E or P/S.

It will be interesting to see who will be the winner of this battle when Google Finance comes out of beta.