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Welco me to Pro fit Co nfidential Wednesday, February 29 , 20 12

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"A Golden Opportunity for Stock Market Investors"
Our t o p analyst s pick t he ir num be r o ne st o ck f o r 20 12. Se e why we t hink it co uld be t he be st st o ck t o o wn right no w f o r t he bigge st pro f it s. And it 's yo urs FREE whe n yo u sign-up t o ge t Profit Confidential daily wit h o ur co m plim e nt s!

Gold Stocks
Back in 20 0 2 the edito rs o f Profit Confidential started telling their readers it was time to jump into go ld related investments, specifically go ld sto cks. This go ld sto cks guidance and analysis pro ved to be extremely timely. Yes, back in 20 0 2 we started o ffering go ld sto cks analysis to o ur readers and we still do it to day. We have been reco gnized as o ne o f the first investment letters to tell its audience to jump into go ld sto cks, very early in the go ld bull market. The go ld analysis we pro vided resulted in many sto cks we fo llo w rising in price 10 0 % o r mo re in sho rt perio ds o f time. To day, yo u can regularly find o ur go ld analysis in Profit Confidential . Each time go ld prices mo ved higher, we to ld o ur readers to buy mo re go ld related investments. See what we have to say abo ut go lds future dally in Profit Confidential .

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New Higher Margin Requirement for Gold an Investor Opportunity

No Co mments Po sted by Michael Lo mbardi, MBA in go ld sto cks, ho w to invest in go ld , investo r co nfidence, price o f go ld bullio n , sto ck market , Sto ck Market Advice , sto ck prices o n August 11th, 20 11 After mo nths o f patient waiting, the go ld sto cks came to life yesterday. Right acro ss the bo ard, whether it was junio r o r senio r go ld pro ducers, the sto ck prices o f go ld co mpanies were up sharply Wednesday.

PROFIT CONFIDENTIAL Forecast s Fe b. 29 , 20 12

Immediate term outlook:
The bear market rally in sto cks that started March 9 , 20 0 9 remains intact. Since March o f 20 0 9 we have been and co ntinue to be immediate term bullish o n sto cks. Go ld bullio n is up $1,30 0 an o unce since we first reco mmended it in 20 0 2 and we are still bullish o n the metal.

Short-to-medium term outlook:

Natio nal debt increasing at the rate o f $125 billio n per mo nth will eventually debase the U.S. do llar. Our co ncern is future deterio ratio n o f the greenback, an expansive mo ney supply and rising U.S. natio nal debt will eventually push do mestic inflatio n and interest rates higher, negatively impacting the American
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Ho pefully, my readers have been fo llo wing my guidance and seeking refuge in the go ld-mining co mpanies. Since the spring o f this year, go ld bullio n prices have been rising sharply, while go ld sto cks sto o d pat. I have been writing that the leaders o f the go ld bull market wo uld shift fro m the actual bullio n to the go ld sto cks, and thats what started happening Wednesday. Since the middle o f June, the Do w Jo nes U.S. Go ld Mining Index (an index co mprised o f the largest U.S. go ld-mining co mpanies) is up 12%, while the general sto ck market has go ne do wn 11% in the same time perio d! But, like all go o d things, as the price o f go ld bullio n hits $1,8 0 0 , there are fo rces that want to put a wrench in the 10 -year go ld bull market, as many believe go ld has beco me to o speculative. Hence, this mo rning, we learn that CME Gro up Inc. (CME), the wo rlds largest futures market, changed the rules witho ut advance warning and increased the minimum amo unt o f cash speculato rs and investo rs must depo sit to trade a futures co ntract o f go ld. In summary, margin requirements, with a flick-o f-a-switch, have increased by 22% this mo rning. Yo u may remember, the CME did the same thing to silver (increased the margin requirements fo r trading silver a few mo nths ago ) and silver fell sharply in price. Well, I have news fo r the market, and better news fo r my readers. The bull market in go ld is to o stro ng to have the metal fall in value by 30 % as silver did after the CME increased the margin requirement fo r trading silver futures. Fo r my readers, any pullback o n the price o f go ld bullio n caused by the CMEs newly impo sed margin requirements wo uld present a perfect buying o ppo rtunity fo r the junio r and senio r go ld-pro ducing sto cks, o nce again. This is ho w to invest in go ld no w. Michae ls Pe rso nal No t e s: On Tuesday o f this week, the Federal Reserve made the unprecedented actio n o f specifically saying ho w lo ng it wo uld keep sho rt-term interest rates lo w. Im sure yo u have heard. The Fed will keep rates lo w thro ugh mid-20 13. On the news o f a pro lo nged perio d o f interest rates that are lo w, U.S. Treasuries rallied. It do esnt matter if Standard & Po o rs has cut the credit rating o f the U.S. It do esnt matter if Co ngress has just given the Obama Administratio n ano ther $2.1 trillio n to spend. Investo rs want U.S. Treasuries. Yesterdays auctio n o f $24.0 billio n in 10 -year U.S. Treasuries was the first o ffering o f U.S. debt since Standard & Po o rs cut the U.S.s credit rating. There was a line up to buy these bo ndsand the buyers walked away with the lo west yields o n reco rd2.14%.

and interest rates higher, negatively impacting the American eco no my and equities.

PROFIT CONFIDENTIAL Est imat es Fe b. 29 , 20 12

To tal 20 11 per share earnings fo r 30 sto cks in the Do w Jo nes Industrial Average: Do w Jo nes Industrial Average Price/earnings multiple: Do w Jo nes Industrial Average Dividend Yield: 3-mo nth day U.S. T-bill Yield: 10 -year U.S. Treasury Yield:

$900 13.4 2.6% 0.01% 2.0%

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The Next Step for the Stock Market
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At 2.14%, the dividend yield o f the Do w Jo nes Industrial Average sto cks o f 2.8 % sure do es lo o k co mpetitive. Whe re t he Marke t St ands; Whe re it s He ade d: Its up and do wn, do wn and up fo r the markets. My readers need to understand that, when we have huge multi-10 0 po int up and do wn days o n the market, mo st o f that trading is co mputer-driven. Very little o f it has to do with individual investo rs buying o r selling. Since the advent o f index-traded funds, co mputer/auto matic trading has beco me a big part o f Wall Street. What am I do ing? Im sitting back and waiting. The current situatio n co uld go o ne o f two ways. The market co uld mo ve fro m here to test its March 20 0 9 lo ws o r the first real co rrectio n o f 20 11 co uld be clo se to ending, at which po int the bear market rally wo uld resume its upward trend. Im in the camp that believes it is to o early to test the March 20 0 9 lo ws fo r a variety o f reaso ns I have written abo ut o ver the past two weeks. So me o f tho se reaso ns: sto cks are a better investment alternative to day to 10 -year U.S. Treasuries; mo netary po licy remains acco mmo dative; the great majo rity o f investo rs are pessimistic; co rpo rate pro fits are still stro ng; and co rpo rate insiders are buying sto ck at a pace no t seen since the spring o f 20 0 9 . What He Said: Co nsumer co nfidence do es no t change o vernight. In the U.S., 70 % o f GDP is based o n co nsumer spending. And, in my life, all the recessio ns I have seen o r studied have o nly co me to an end when co nsumers started spending. With co nsumer sentiment getting wo rse, and with the U.S.perso nal savings rate near reco rd lo ws, it may take years fo r co nsumers to start spending again. Michael Lo mbardi in PROFIT CONFIDENTIAL , February 25, 20 0 8 . By the end o f 20 0 8 , the rest o f the wo rld was realizing that the recessio n wo uld be much lo nger and deeper than mo st had imagined.

By Michael Lombardi, MBA For the benefit of my new readers, and as an update for my long- time readers, today I want to talk about exactly where I believe we are in the stock market. After a 25- year bull market in stocks, which was fueled by a 25- year decline in interest rates and a period of great financial leveraging that accompanied collapsing interest rates, a Phase I bear market (often referred to as the first down- leg) brought stock prices down sharply. From its high of 14,164 ... Read More

One of the Best Things Going in the Main Street Economy Today
By Mitchell Clark, B.Comm. Precious metals and oil have proven that commodities are in an upward price cycle. If you believe in the commodity price cycle like I do, youve got to have some exposure to the group as part of a balanced investment portfolio. Within the group, there are three main sectors for consideration: precious metals, energy, and agriculture. Precious metals and oil have already been big winners. Like all commodities, theyve experienced substantial price corrections, but their price cycle over the last ... Read More

Trading Action Repeating ItselfWhat the Stock Markets Setting Itself up for
No Co mments Po sted by Mitchell Clark, B.Co mm. in co rpo rate earnings, go ld sto cks, price o f go ld , price o f silver, S&P 50 0 , silver sto cks , sto ck market o n July 29 th, 20 11 While the price o f go ld and price o f silver co ntinue to be

High Oil Prices Mean Profiting From this Kind of Play

By George Leong, B.Comm. With the outlook for the U.S. and global economies looking more encouraging, we have seen a corresponding upward push by oil prices on the chart. The April WTI Oil is advancing higher at above $108.00 and north of its 50- day moving average (MA) of $100.35 and 200- day MA of $95.86. A bullish golden cross is holding, with the 50- day MA above the 200- day MA. An issue for us is that a large part of oil prices
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very stro ng, a lo t o f go ld sto cks and silver sto cks have been pulling back in price. Its a reflectio n o f the current state o f things, with investo r sentiment seemingly stuck in a rut. Were in a market with so much uncertainty that any call is valid and all o utco mes are plausible. The sto ck market co uld co mpletely fall apart, stay the same, o r advance. A market malaise has set in and its almo st entirely due to the so vereign debt situatio n. Just last week, sto cks were lo o king set fo r a decent run, as co rpo rate earnings mo stly impressed the Street. That rally fizzled pretty quickly and no w the S&P 50 0 Index is back do wn at the 1,30 0 level, which I view as pro blematic in terms o f the markets o verall health. Whats happening is that investo rs are beginning to igno re go o d news and event-driven trades do nt seem to have any legs. Its a stro ng signal that the market is tired and very unsure o f itself. With this backdro p, there certainly is no rush to take actio n o n the lo ng side. Even if the so vereign debt issue were to be settled right no w and the market were to make a big advance, theres just as much pro bability that it wo uld pull back a mo nth fro m no w o n lackluster eco no mic news. The equity market sure isnt making it easy fo r traders. The S&P 50 0 Index has basically been trading range-bo und since the beginning o f the year with declining vo lume. Oddly, its fo llo wing a very similar trading pattern to the beginning o f last year where sto cks advanced and then didnt do anything fo r abo ut 10 mo nths befo re breaking o ut. We co uld be in fo r a similar scenario this year where sto cks might no t experience any material rally until so metime in the fo urth quarter. That is my current figuring. While co rpo rate earnings are stro ng, eco no mic data are no t. Last yearand so far this yearthe sto ck market was held to gether by go o d co rpo rate earnings, as investo rs were willing to wait fo r the eco no my to reco ver. The pace o f that reco very is mo st certainly unclear and the marketplace is gro wing impatient. Co uple this with all the pro blems asso ciated with co untry debt and deficits, and yo u co uld easily make the case fo r an S&P belo w 1,30 0 . I think were go ing to get co ntinued range-bo und trading fo r the next several mo nths with the po tential fo r an end-o f-year rally based o n the expectatio n fo r go o d fo urth-quarter numbers. Co rpo ratio ns are do ing their part; no w its time fo r the eco no my and po licymakers to do theirs.

200- day MA. An issue for us is that a large part of oil prices continues to be largely dictated by ... Read More

Why McDonalds Is Brilliant

By Sasha Cekerevac Every year it seems we get some new investment strategy that assures us it is the secret to getting rich. Over a decade ago, it was the Internet and dot- com hype. Recently, its social media, with Facebook and LinkedIn Corporation (NYSE/LNKD). For a long- term investment, the key is what management can do to constantly innovate and grow. Many people wouldnt associate blue- chips with being highly innovative, but theyd be wrong. They might say that high- tech blue- chips like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ/AAPL) can ... Read More

Extra
A Study You Should Know About
By Michael Lombardi, MBA While most other economists tell us otherwise, Ive been writing this year about how the numbers so far do not point to a U.S. economic recovery, but rather to a continued economic slowdown, with the threat of recession. Ive been focused on the average damaged consumer, who has lost value in his/her home and has been restrained by no income growth if he/she is lucky enough to have a job. With over 47 million Americans on food stamps, Im at a loss ... Read More

Flush with CashGold Shares Are the New Internet Stocks

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No Co mments Po sted by Mitchell Clark, B.Co mm. in Sto ck Market Advice o n July 14th, 20 11 So , the price o f go ld is go ing up, and so are go ld sto cks. There really isnt much mo ney to be made in this market except fo r speculating in go ld shares. Its the industry with the best nearand medium-term fundamentals as far as Im co ncerned. The big mo ve in go ld has already taken place and equity investo rs sho uld already have so me expo sure to this impo rtant co mmo dity. The thing abo ut the glo bal eco no my is that were in a lo ng perio d o f slo w gro wth with inflatio nary pressures. Its the best o f bo th wo rlds fo r go ld. Add in so vereign debt wo rries (po liticians wo uld rather print mo ney and create inflatio n than cut pro grams) and the emerging strength o f BRIC eco no mies, and its quite arguable that the spo t price o f go ld co uld hit $2,0 0 0 an o unce. There are actually very few investment-grade, large-cap go ld co mpanies. Only a few pay a dividend and, o f tho se, yields arent really mo re than o ne percent. Mo st o f the go ld miners o ut there wo uld co mpare to medium- o r small-cap co mpanies and, because o f the vo latility inherent in co mmo dities, sho uld be co nsidered speculative equity securities. Regardless, I wo uldnt have an equity po rtfo lio that didnt have so me expo sure to go ld, especially giving current eco no mic fundamentals. Like mo st things no w, investo rs can co nsider a go ld mutual fund o r exchange-traded fund (ETF). Theres even publicly traded co mpanies the so le purchase o f which is to o wn and secure large numbers o f go ld bars. Fo r the mo st part, all sto cks related to go ld trade co mmensurately with the spo t price o f the co mmo dityand there lies the greatest investment risk fo r a go ld investo r. There was a bandwago n effect taking place in precio us metals earlier in the year. Institutio nal investo rs piled into go ld, silver and co pper and then jumped into agricultural co mmo dities. Right no w, large mo ney managers are desperately ho ping that seco ndquarter earnings and visibility will be stro ng eno ugh to pro vide a catalyst to buy sto cks. Investing in go ld isnt o n their minds to any great degree. But, the price o f go ld is creeping higher. If it ticks past $1,6 50 , then I think well have a new rush o n o ur hands. Percentagewise, this price isnt far away at all. It certainly is a great time to be in the go ld mining business. Its an industry thats flush with cash.

What We Cant Forget About in the Stock Market Today

By Mitchell Clark, B.Comm. Street analysts are saying that, because of higher oil prices, the Dow Jones Transportation Average is showing a real divergence from the rest of the stock market. According to Dow Theory, confirmation from this index is required in order to uphold the primary trend in the stock market. Its kind of an old- fashioned way of predicting the stock market, but I do believe in it. Oil prices have been stronger lately because of geopolitical concerns, but a lot of the stocks ... Read More

The Thorn in the PC Market Leaders Side

By George Leong, B.Comm. My kid hardly ever works on his desktop personal computer (PC) anymore, instead favoring a laptop. In fact, I often see him surfing the Internet and doing research using my iPad or his iTouch. This market shift is not only with my kid, but with millions who are also abandoning their computers in favor of tablets. The result of this is proving quite difficult for PC makers, who are fighting to come up with a defense. The market leader in PCs, ... Read More

Platinum Surges 15% in Seven Weeks; Now Where Does it Go?

By Sasha Cekerevac Some of the toughest decisions an investor has to make occur when you are up on a trade. Ive highlighted some of the merits in investing in precious metals like platinum before, the last being on January 11, 2012, in the article Investors Should You Consider Platinum? At the time I wrote the
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A Growth Industry with a

Great Fundamental Backdrop

No Co mments Po sted by Mitchell Clark, B.Co mm. in go ld sto cks, investing in go ld, precio us metal co mmo dities, precio us metal sto cks, price o f go ld , so vereign debt, spo t price o f silver o n July 8 th, 20 11 Precio us metal co mmo dities co rrected with so me fervo r especially silver. The price o f go ld mo ved so mewhat lo wer in the recent co rrectio n, but it is still so lidly abo ve the $1,50 0 -per-o unce level. I think that $2,0 0 0 fo r an o unce o f go ld is a real po ssibility o ver the next 12 to 18 mo nths and it will likely co rrespo nd to so me so rt o f currency instability related to so vereign debt. Witho ut questio n, the so vereign debt issue is the gravest investment risk to yo ur po rtfo lio and is even mo re perilo us than a do uble-dip recessio n. Go ld sto cks actually co rrected mo re than the spo t price and I wo uld be a new buyer o f go ld shares at this time. This presumes o f co urse that equity investo rs do nt already have so me expo sure to this impo rtant market secto r. The resilience o f the spo t price o f go ld in recent mo nths is, in my mind, a stro ng signal fo r the future. The U.S. do llar do esnt really have to go do wn relative to o ther currencies fo r go ld to keep ticking higher. The rate o f inflatio n do esnt have to be pro no unced either. All thats required is just a little bit o f everything so vereign debt wo rries, a slightly weaker do llar, and two -percent to three-percent inflatio nand the spo t price o f go ld can easily break into new reco rd territo ry. Investing in go ld is a must these days and its been a fantastic trade fo r a number o f years already. The spo t price o f silver did get ahead o f itself, as speculato rs bid that co mmo dity mo re than any o ther in the ho pe o f glo bal eco no mic reco very. I wo uldnt be surprised at all to see silver mo ve o ver the $40 .0 0 -per-o unce level in the near future, especially if seco ndquarter earnings co me in so lid. As I say, the go ld trade has made fo r go o d investing fo r several years no w and my best predictio n is fo r this upward price trend to co ntinue. Right no w, there are large, medium and small pro ducers o f go ld that are trading fo r reaso nable prices o n the sto ck market. A lo t o f these co mpanies have little to no debt and are sitting o n large cash ho ards, waiting to put that mo ney into new explo ratio n. I hate to say it, but this decade is go ing to be a go lden age fo r precio us metal miners. Its a great time to be in this industry, with spo t prices high and bank acco unts full. Speculating in go ld mining sto cks is a difficult business. What I think makes fo r an attractive investment within this industry is finding a handful o f co mpanies that each o ffer a package

Should You Consider Platinum? At the time I wrote the article, platinum was trading approximately $1,497; as of today, the market for platinum is trading around $1,723, a move of approximately 15% in less than seven weeks. In fact, ... Read More

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o f go o d business o ppo rtunities. This means that a go ld mining co mpany sho uld already be pro ducing and selling o unces o f go ld with detailed expectatio ns fo r increased pro ductio n o ver the co ming quarters. The co mpany sho uld have o ther pro perties that its explo ring, even in co njunctio n with o ther, perhaps larger mining co mpanies. There needs to be a track reco rd o f financial gro wth, alo ng with lo ts o f cash in the bank fo r further explo ratio n activities. Finally, a decent track reco rd o n the sto ck market always helpsthis means that institutio nal investo rs kno w abo ut the business and are willing to invest in/trade the sto ck. I believe in the co mmo dity price cycle and a fundamental backdro p to suppo rt higher go ld prices. Acco rdingly, go ld sto cks sho uld co ntinue to be so me o f the best equity ho ldings o ver the next few years.

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And the Next Country to Fall in Europe Will Be

No Co mments Po sted by Michael Lo mbardi, MBA in euro pean eco no my, glo bal eco no my, go ld bullio n price, go ld sto cks, go vernment bo nds , Greece, gro ss do mestic pro duct , Italy, so vereign debt, Spain, Sto ck Market Advice o n June 24th, 20 11 I have to tell yo u, I tho ught it wo uld be Spain. My thinking o f the o rder in which the so vereign debt crisis wo uld engulf Euro pe was first Greece, then Spain, then Italy. But it lo o ks like I was wro ng. Italy, ho me o f my favo rite Italian wine, is next. It all started o n June 18 when Mo o dys Investo r Services said that it was weighing whether to cut Italys credit rating. Since then, go vernment bo nd yields have been rising in Italy. Italy has regained o nly a small fractio n o f the gro ss do mestic pro duct (GDP) gro wth it lo st during the glo bal recessio n (Italian GDP in the first quarter o f 20 11 ro se o nly o ne-tenth o f o ne percent o ver first-quarter 20 10 GDP). Unemplo yment is high. Interest rates are rising and a sex-scandal-plagued Silvio Berlusco ni is o ccupied with trying to maintain his po sitio n as Prime Minister as uncertainty o ver his capacity to go vern rises.

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Heres why I believe the so vereign debt infectio n is spreading to Italy. Yesterday, the shares o f Italys fo rth largest bank, Unio ne di Banche Italiane, fell five percent to 3.6 3 euro sbelo w what it had priced its shares in a o ne-billio n euro rights o ffering it was trying to clo se yesterday. The sto ck price o f Italys largest bank, UniCredit, was do wn abo ut nine percent yesterday. Intesa Sanpao lo , the co untrys seco nd largest bank, saw its sto ck price tumble seven percent yesterday. When the sto ck prices o f majo r banks fall so quickly, investo r panic usually sets in. And that may be the situatio n in Italy right no w. Mo o dys Investo r Services said Thursday that it may do wngrade the credit rating o f 13 large Italian banks. It lo o ks like the bo nd vigilantes are clo sing in o n their next target. Po o r euro ; ho w will it ever get a break? Michae ls Pe rso nal No t e s: What a day fo r the sto ck market Thursday First we had the Internatio nal Energy Agency (IEA) anno unce that it wo uld release 6 0 millio n barrels o f o il into the marketplace. That pushed sto ck and co mmo dity prices severely lo wer. Then Greece anno unced that it has struck an austerity deal, which bro ught sto ck prices back the o ther way. Why the IEA is releasing so much o il is a mystery to me. Ive read all the news repo rts last night and this mo rning, but I just do nt get it. This o il is being released fro m emergency o il supplies. So me repo rts said the o il was being released to reduce the sho rtage o f o il caused by lo ss o f pro ductio n in Libya. But the market reacted as if this was an o versupply situatio n. After all, Saudi Arabia is increasing its o il pro ductio n to near reco rd daily levels. There are o bvio usly so me po litical mo tives behind the scenes hereso Ill just leave it at that. But fo r investo rs, I see o ppo rtunity. Go ld bullio n was do wn o ver $30 .0 0 per o unce yesterday. I havent seen that kind o f do wnside mo vement o n go ld fo r mo nths. But when I lo o ked at my go ld sto cks, I no ticed that they clo sed Thursday at the same level they clo sed Tuesday. Go ld sto cks ho lding steady while the yello w metal falls in price? As I have been writing fo r a few weeks no w, the share prices o f go ld explo ratio n and develo pment co mpanies are fo rming a base here. Yesterdays sharp pullback in go ld bullio ns price was a go o d indicatio n that the go ld sto ck prices are near their bo tto m. If this was two mo nths ago , and go ld was do wn $30 .0 0 an o unce, go ld sto ck prices wo uld have
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pivo ted do wnward quickly. Whe re t he Marke t St ands; Whe re it s He ade d: Let them release 6 0 millio n barrels o f o il, let Greece and Italy fall. It do esnt matter to this bear market rally. No matter ho w bad the news gets, the market co ntinues to trade abo ve its 20 0 -day mo ving averagea big technical po sitive fo r sto cks. Sto cks lo ve to climb a wall o f wo rry. And we seem to have plenty o f that aro und lately. Im sticking with my guns: The bear market rally that started in March 20 0 9 , altho ugh tired and lo ng-in-the-to o th, still has life left in it. What He Said: What gro up o f sto cks is next to fall in light o f the so ftening U.S. ho using market? The sto cks o f co mpanies that sell retail pro ducts to the American co nsumer, I believe, are next o n the hit list. Many retail sto cks are already repo rting so ft sales. In my o pinio n, they havent seen anything yet in respect to weaker sales. Michael Lo mbardi in PROFIT CONFIDENTIAL, August 30 , 20 0 6 . Acco rding to the Do w Jo nes Retail Index, retail sto cks fell 42% fro m the fall o f 20 0 6 thro ugh March 20 0 9 .

Gold: The Fundamentals Keep Shaping up for this Investment

No Co mments Po sted by Mitchell Clark, B.Co mm. in go ld prices, go ld sto cks, go o d trades, investing in go ld, sto ck prices o n June 20 th, 20 11 Uncertainty and wo rry are the wo rds describe the current state o f the equity market witho ut co rpo rate earnings and new visibility. Seco nd-quarter earnings seaso n cant co me so o n eno ughits what the market is desperately waiting fo r. We have a situatio n where sto ck prices are bo uncing aro und o n the news o f the day and an investing marketplace that is ho ping that the so vereign debt issue can be co ntained. This has given a sho rt-term bo o st to the do llar, but the lo nger-term trend is fo r a declining currency. This means that the o utlo o k fo r the price o f go ld remains stro ng. Investing in go ld has pro ven to be a highly pro fitable endeavo r o ver the last few years, but
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everything needs to take a break o nce in a while. Bo th silver and go ld go t a little ahead o f themselves, but they definitely were go o d trades. If I were to pick o ne precio us metal to fo cus o n go ing fo rward, it wo uld be go ld. Here we have an industry thats awash in cash, is highly pro fitable, and that has limited pro spects fo r large new disco veries (like o il). Go ld sto cks trade co mmensurate with the spo t price o f the co mmo dity (with the exceptio n o f majo r new disco veries) and, in the next upward spike in go ld prices, I think well see a wave o f co nso lidatio n within the industry. Medium-tier pro ducers will want to use their co mmo n shares as currency to bulk up o n pro ductio n befo re the next majo r leg up in the spo t price. A lo t o f go ld mining co mpanies believe that the spo t price o f go ld can hit o ver $1,750 per o unce this year. Id be a buyer o f new go ld shares in this market. Uncertainty is everywhere, but when a go ld mining co mpany says that it expects to pro duce a certain amo unt o f go ld and o ther bypro ducts, as well as what the co sts are go ing to be, its pretty easy to figure o ut the kind o f cash this business is go ing to generate. Because the estimating pro cess fo r mineral reso urces and extractio n is regulated and the industry has high standards o f repo rting, investo rs can have a go o d level o f co nfidence in drill results and business plans fo r pro ductio n. As always, yo u want to co nsider an existing pro ducer thats also drilling fo r mo re go ld aro und existing pro perties. Yo u want a business with lo ts o f cash in the bank, a highly educated and respected management team and, finally, a rising co mmo dity price enviro nment fo r spo t prices. In the go ld mining universe, there are a lo t o f co mpanies fro m which to cho o se, but there arent a lo t o f co mpanies that are pro ducing o ver 10 0 ,0 0 0 o unces a year. This makes sto ck picking within the industry that much easier. Investing in go ld isnt fo r everyo ne; but, in this eco no my, theres no t a lo t o f business gro wth aro und. In terms o f financial success, o utperfo rmance is still with precio us metal pro ducers and, while everything o ccurs in waves, the fundamentals, in my view, keep shaping up fo r go ld.

The Best Buys in the Stock Market Right Now

No Co mments Po sted by Mitchell Clark, B.Co mm. in fo urth-quarter earnings , go ld sto cks, investment risk , large-cap sto cks, majo r co rrectio n , o il prices, sto ck market , sto ck prices o n June 9 th, 20 11
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It lo o ks like the o ld investo r adage go away in May is go ing to play itself o ut o nce again. It may no t be until the fo urth quarter that sto cks can find a new uptrend, as the eco no my needs mo re time to find its fo o ting. Whats happening no w in the equity market is a recko ning amo ng investo rs expectatio ns. Its no t really abo ut share prices. The time ho rizo n fo r decent investment returns fro m sto cks is expanding and the actual amo unt o f tho se expected returns in shrinking. The market right no w is abo ut declining pro spects fo r sto cks and its reflected in the S&P 50 0 Index being belo w the 1,30 0 mark. The next majo r suppo rt level fo r this bro ad market index is 1,250 . It seems likely to me that sto ck prices will drift do wnward to create that level o ver the next three weeks. Sto ck market malaise co uld be with us fo r the entire third quarter, as expectatio ns co ntinue to be revised. We still have to remember, ho wever, that sto cks have had a great run since 20 0 9 and they havent really experienced any majo r co rrectio n since then. While investo r expectatio ns are being adjusted, it do es make it easier fo r the bro ader market to accelerate when the eco no my and co rpo rate earnings turn upward. My guess is that this wo nt happen until the fo urth quarter this year. The best buys in this market right no w co ntinue to be with large-cap, dividend paying co mpanies. At the very least, a decent handful o f these kinds o f sto cks sho uld be o n investo rs radar screens. The market isnt finished go ing do wn as yet, but barring any majo r sho cks to the system (like a Greek debt default), I expect sto ck prices to tread water fo r a while. With all the current info rmatio n, getting so me large-cap, dividend equity investments befo re the fo urth quarter seems to me like a decent strategy. The price o f o il remains a go o d pro xy fo r the sho rt-term trading actio n in sto cks. Lo ngerterm, a weaker o il price will have a direct stimulative effect o n the eco no my. As fo r go ld, this is an investment theme with staying po wer; ho wever, the near-term trading actio n seems bent o n go ing lo wer. This is natural, as investo rs want to unwind the trade after go ld (and silver) has hit reco rd price highs. Theres still lo ts o f ro o m fo r go ld expo sure in an equity po rtfo lio to day. Theres to o much investment risk and inflatio nary risk in the glo bal eco no my to do witho ut it. The next quarter o r so sho uld be a go o d time to co nsider a high-dividend-paying o il and gas investment. These sto cks have co rrected with the spo t price o f o il and are quickly beco ming attractively priced. If OPEC increases its pro ductio n like it says it wants to do o ver the near term, o il price so ftness will present a go o d entry po int befo re the eco no my accelerates.

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Stock Market Action Dj Vu: Whats Going on with Trading

No Co mments Po sted by Mitchell Clark, B.Co mm. in bear market , co nso lidatio n, eco no my, equity market, go ld sto cks, sto ck market actio n , Sto ck Market Advice , sto ck picking , trading actio n, U.S. eco no my o n June 8 th, 20 11 It lo o ks like the current trading actio n in sto cks is the co rrectio n/co nso lidatio n that we sho uld have had earlier in the year. Investo r sentiment was perhaps to o o ptimistic and eco no mic reality has no w caught up to the marketplace. The o nly things that investo rs really care abo ut are the numbers, and in tho se numbers they want to see gro wth. Investo rs sell when businesses arent gro wing and they even sell when business remains the same. The reality o f a slo w gro wth eco no my is no w settling in and, no matter what the go vernment o r Fed do es no w, the eco no my is o n its o wn. Were likely to get co ntinued weakness in sto cks until we get into seco nd-quarter earnings seaso n. If tho se numbers are bad, then sto cks wo uld be in serio us tro uble. The go o d news is that expectatio ns fo r the seco nd quarter remain quite so lid. No t all industries are experiencing the same level o f eco no mic activity, and thats to be expected. With this backdro p, ho wever, its pretty reaso nable to co nclude that the equity market wo nt be taking o ff anytime so o n, which is a simple reflectio n o f the current state o f things. As mentio ned in this co lumn many times o ver the last several mo nths, theres no rush fo r investo rs to be taking o n new po sitio ns, especially at the speculative end o f the market. Sto ck picking is much mo re difficult in a slo w gro wth enviro nment and the returns fro m speculating o n co rpo rate events are less ro bust in a bear market. Fro m my perspective, were still in a bear market fo r sto cks and the S&P 50 0 Index still hasnt achieved the same level that it was trading at o ver 10 years ago . Faster-gro wing eco no mies like China and Brazil are what are keeping the earnings gro wing at large co rpo ratio ns. Witho ut these emerging o peratio ns, the earnings results fro m S&P 50 0 co mpanies wo uld be a lo t different. Because the wo rlds mature eco no mies are gro wing slo wly and the U.S. eco no my still has to wo rk thro ugh the ho using crisis, I think the sto ck market is experiencing the same kind o f pattern it did fro m the mid-19 6 0 s to 19 8 0 . Weve already been into the current sto ck market co nso lidatio n fo r a go o d 10 years no w
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and theres mo re to go . Its o ne big trading range that, witho ut dividends, wo uld have meant negative investment returns fro m sto cks. Since last September, mo st investable assets have go ne up significantly in price. Sto cks, o il and go ld have all been due fo r a co rrectio n because o f that run-up. What the market is go ing thro ugh no w is a reality check and a reminder that eco no mic gro wth cant be manufactured o r engineered. The eco no my is still in the pro cess o f balancing itself o ut after a bubble perio d in ho using. Once this situatio n is fixed, the eco no my will start gro wing again in a meaningful way.

Time to Go Big or Go HomeLarge-cap Earnings All That Matters

No Co mments Po sted by Mitchell Clark, B.Co mm. in co rpo rate earnings, dividend-paying sto cks, equity securities, go ld sto cks, investment risk , large-cap sto cks, so vereign debt, sto ck market o n June 3rd, 20 11 The o nly thing that really matters to the sto ck market is co rpo rate earnings. The numbers are everything, and thats what equity investo rs need to be fo cused o n. Id be a new buyer o f large-cap, dividend paying sto cks right no w. The market hasnt pulled back much o ver the last two years and, every time it has, its been a great buying o ppo rtunity. The sto ck market is reaso nably valued at its current level and the expectatio n is fo r a so lid year o f co rpo rate pro fit gro wth. Jo b numbers, ho using prices, and ISM surveys are all impo rtant, but, as the o wner o f a business, its always the bo tto m line that co unts. Even tho ugh Im advo cating that investo rs with mo ney to spend co nsider buying sto cks right no w, Im no t saying that investo rs sho uld lo ad up o n speculative issues. Far fro m it. Investment risk in the wo rld remains very high. This is mo stly due to the so vereign debt issue in Euro pe, which keeps flaring up every mo nth o r so . A lo t o f big investo rs o ver the years have co ntemplated the end o f the euro currency; if it were to happen, the result wo uld be disastro us fo r capital markets o ver the sho rt term. It wo uldnt be the end o f the wo rld, o f co urse, but financial markets wo uld likely take a huge hit. So , because this risk is present and real, equity investo rs need to be fairly co nservative with their ho ldings. And, if we are go ing to experience a perio d o f slo w eco no mic gro wth in
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the U.S. eco no my, then investo rs need to be awfully cho o sy abo ut which co mpanies they invest in. Ever wo nder why a co mpany like Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE/CAT) has been such a po werho use wealth creato r fo r shareho lders just o ver the last year? Its because the co mpany is well-diversified in the wo rlds fastest gro wing eco no mies. I think so me individual investo rs have a tendency to fo rget just ho w risky sto cks are. Putting mo ney into the sto ck market is taking a gambleyo ure betting o n a co mpanys ability to generate pro fits, while reco gnizing that the business cycle exists. Witho ut questio n, equity securities (which are shares in a co mpany that trade in a seco ndary market) are 10 0 % riskcapital instruments. Therefo re, it pays to have a healthy regard fo r risk, no matter what the bro ader market is do ing. Everybo dy likes a bandwago n. Take go ld, fo r example. The spo t price o f the co mmo dity has been go ing up fo r years no w, but it isnt until the media headlines take ho ld that a lo t o f new investo rs jump in and buy go ld o r go ld sto cks. As the o ld saying go es, o nce its in the newspaper, the sto ry is mo stly o ver. This still rings true to day. Right no w, its difficult to be a buyer o f sto cks. The eco no mic data is lackluster and were in between earnings seaso ns. But, its o ften this kind o f uncertainty that creates go o d entry po ints fo r new po sitio ns. No w is a go o d time to be co nsidering well-managed, large-cap, dividend-paying sto cks. The right large-cap co mpany can beat the best high flyer the market has to o ffer.

Fighting Market Risk: Use Put Options

No Co mments Po sted by Geo rge Leo ng, B.Co mm. in best sto ck advice , defensive hedge, go ld sto cks, pro tecting yo ur investments , pro tective hedge, put o ptio ns , risk management , silver sto cks , Sto ck Market Advice o n May 20 th, 20 11 In Fridays issue, I discussed the idea o f generating so me cash thro ugh writing co vered call o ptio ns sho uld the market trade flat. At this juncture, sto ck markets are pausing and sho wing so me uncertainty. And, while I do no t pretend to have a crystal ball, I do firmly believe in ado pting stro ng riskmanagement to pro tect yo ur investments and hardearned capital. This is my best sto ck market advice. The last thing yo u want is to watch yo ur gains disappear.
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One o f my favo rite strategies I like perso nally to pro tect investment gains is the use o f put o ptio ns as a defensive hedge against market weakness. This strategy is called a Protective Hedge. Do nt be scared by the name o r the fact it emplo ys derivatives, as the strategy is straightfo rward. Under this scenario , investo rs may be so mewhat bearish o r uncertain and want to pro tect the current gains against a do wnside mo ve in the sto ck o r the market with the use o f index put o ptio ns. Fo r tho se o f yo u no t familiar with o ptio ns, a buyer o f a put-o ptio n co ntract buys the right, but no t the o bligatio n, to sell a specific number o f the underlying instrument at the strike o r exercise price fo r a specified length o f time until the expiry date o f the co ntract. After the expiry date, the particular o ptio n expires wo rthless and any respo nsibility is eliminated. The buyer o f the put o ptio n pays a premium to the writer o f the o ptio n, who gets co mpensated fo r assuming the risk o f exercise. The writer o f the put o ptio n is o bligated to buy the sto ck fro m the ho lder o f the put sho uld it be exercised by the expiry date. Fo r the writer o f the put o ptio n, the amo unt o f premium received fo r assuming the risk is generally directly co rrelated to the vo latility o f the sto ck and market. The mo re vo latile the sto ck, the higher the premium paid fo r the o ptio n. And lo w vo latility translates into lo wer premiums. Yo u can buy puts fo r sto cks and secto rs. If yo ur po rtfo lio is heavy in techno lo gy, yo u can buy puts o n the NASDAQ. Or lets say yo u have benefited fro m the run-up in go ld and silver to reco rd histo rical highs; in this case, a go o d strategy may be to buy put o ptio ns o n The Philadelphia Go ld & Silver Index, which tracks 10 majo r go ld sto cks and silver sto cks. If yo u are heavily weighted in techno lo gy, yo u can buy put o ptio ns in Po werShares ETFs (NASDAQ/QQQ), fo r example, a heavily traded put used fo r defensive purpo ses. Its that easy. Just take a lo o k at the vario us indices that clo sely reflect yo ur ho ldings o r put o ptio ns o n individual sto cks that yo u may have a large po sitio n in. In this market, safety is the key.

U.S. Debt Ceiling and Gold: Market Closes One Eye, Other Wide Open
No Co mments Po sted by Michael Lo mbardi, MBA in bo nd market, go ld bullio n price, go ld investment, go ld
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sto cks, sto ck market , Sto ck Market Advice , sto ck prices , U.S. debt ceiling o n May 18 th, 20 11 As we all kno w, the U.S. reached the maximum debt level at which it can bo rro w (its debt ceiling) earlier this week. The U.S. has bo rro wed $14.3 trillio n and canno t bo rro w mo re unless Co ngress increases the debt ceiling limit. The go vernment says that it has dipped into its federal pensio n funds to pay its bills. And what do es the market do ? It clo ses an eye and yawns. The yield o n the 10 -year U.S. Treasury actually fell yesterday to 3.1%. The bo nd market is experiencing a little rally despite the go vernment having to dip into its pensio n funds to pay its bills. Frankly, the bo nd and sto ck market do esnt care at this po int. Its keeping that eye clo sed. It feels, like we all feel, Co ngress will eventually give in and raise the amo unt the U.S. go vernment can bo rro w like it always has in the past. But the market has the o ther eye wide o pen o n this o ne By the middle o f this May, the U.S. Mint had so ld 8 5,0 0 0 o unces o f American Eagle go ld co inso n track to being their best sales mo nth in abo ut a year. The last time sales o f go ld co ins reached that level, the price o f go ld bullio n ro se 21% in the fo llo wing year. Go ld, having hit a high o f $1,541 per o unce earlier this mo nth, is back do wn to $1,49 1 this mo rning, a dro p o f 3.2%. But the go ld sto cks were getting so ft back in April and stayed so ft fo r mo st o f Mayuntil yesterday. I believe the share prices o f the go ld mining co mpanies are starting to firm up again. In fact, o ver the last co uple o f days, the go ld mining sto cks have led bullio n higher. The market has o ne eye wide o pen o n this o ne. A stro ng price base has been established fo r the go ld mining sto cksand the patient go ld investo rs are abo ut to get rewarded. The market clo ses o ne eye o n the debt pro blem, and o pens the o ther to the develo ping co mmo dities sto ry. Michae ls Pe rso nal No t e s: The same thing will happen here in No rth America Yesterday, the United Kingdo ms Office o f Natio nal Statistics repo rted that inflatio n in the U.K. jumped to 4.5% in April. Co re inflatio n, which excludes the vo latile fo o d and energy items, came in at the fastest pace in 14 years3.7%. Bets that the Bank o f England will be raising interest rates so o ner rather than later have
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increased substantially. We will experience the same sequence o f events here. The inflatio n rate in America will eventually po p. The Fed will react by raising sho rt-term interest rates. We will hear the pundits say that the Fed kept rates to o lo w fo r to o lo ng. As I have been writing fo r weeks no w, inflatio n is beco ming a pro blem thro ugho ut the wo rld fo r several reaso ns. The United States will no t be immune to inflatio n wo es. In the U.K., two -year go vernment bo nds yield 1.0 2%. In the U.S., a two -year U.S. Treasury yields o nly abo ut half o f that0 .53%. Is the directio n o f U.S. sho rt-term interest rates no t staring us in the face? Whe re t he Marke t St ands; Whe re it s He ade d: Very interesting to no te The number o f sto ck adviso rs bullish o n the market has fallen sharply, while the number o f sto ck adviso rs expecting a co rrectio n in the sto ck market has risen sharply (so urce: Investors Intelligence Advisors Sentiment , 5/18 /11). Traditio nally, sto ck market adviso rs are wro ng o n their co nsensus o pinio n: if they expect the market to rise, the o ppo site happens. If they expect the market to fall, it usually rises. The mo re there are o f them who expect a co rrectio n in sto ck prices, the less likely it is that it will happen. Ive been writing that I expect a little mo re po p fro m this bear market rally; say ano ther 10 % o n the upside. Given the bearishness starting to prevail amo ngst sto ck adviso rs, the chances o f the bear market rally co ntinuing are no w stro nger. The Do w Jo nes Industrial Average starts this mo rning up 7.8 % fo r 20 11. What He Said: Prepare fo r the wo rst eco no mic perio d ahead that we have seen in years, my dear reader, as that is what I see co ming. Ive written o ver the past three years ho w, in the late 19 20 s, real estate prices fell first befo re the sto ck market and ho w I felt the same wo uld happen this time. Ho me prices in the U.S. peaked in 20 0 5 and started falling in 20 0 6 . The sto ck market is fo llo wing suit here in 20 0 8 . Is a depressio n co ming? No . Ho w abo ut a severe deflatio nary recessio n? Yes! Michael Lo mbardi in PROFIT CONFIDENTIAL , January 21, 20 0 8 . Michael started talking abo ut and predicting the eco no mic catastro phe we started experiencing in 20 0 8 lo ng befo re anyo ne else.

Golds Recent Price Action: Separating

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the Men from the Boys

No Co mments Po sted by Michael Lo mbardi, MBA in bear market rally , gas prices, go ld bull market, go ld investments, go ld sto cks, inflatio n, Sto ck Market Advice o n May 12th, 20 11 The lateco mers to the go ld bull market have been feeling the heat the last co uple o f days. After reaching a reco rd high o f $1,540 an o unce o nly seven business days ago (o n May 3), the price o f go ld bullio n has fallen $55.0 0 to $1,48 5. But its no t the price o f go ld bullio n that has investo rs and speculato rs wo rried. After all, the price o f bullio n is up $252.70 an o unce, o r 20 .5%, o ver the past 12 mo nths. The fear and co ncern lies with the price actio n o f the go ld sto cks. As a reader e-mailed us yesterday, Michael, I enjo y reading PROFIT CONFIDENTIAL each day and appreciate yo ur wise advice. I have been invested in go ld sto cks fo r the past fo ur years and have do ne reaso nably wellbut am perplexed at the recent perfo rmance o f sto cks in relatio n to the metal price. (Go ld) sto cks are standing pat when go ld is rising and selling o ff when go ld declines. Im sure the majo rity o f my readers invested in go ld are no ticing the same thing as the abo ve reader. But, in a bull market, this is what separates the men fro m the bo ys. The lateco mers to the go ld bull market (the bo ys) are dumping their go ld sto cks as fear sets in o ver weakness in the yello w metal. The seaso ned go ld investo rs (the men) see go ld sto cks fo rming a so lid base here. The men are buying the go ld sto cks o n dips, no t selling them. The go ld bull market is 10 years o ld. Its no t a market fo r trading. It is a market fo r seizing the trend and staying with it. During this bull market, there have been times when go ld sto cks have led the advance higher befo re go ld bullio n and there have been times when go ld bullio n has led go ld sto cks higher (which is where we are no w). No thing has changed in the wo rld to change my view o n go ld. The Fed hasnt sto pped the printing press. The go vernment hasnt reined in its reckless spending. Lo ng-term interest rates havent co me do wn; neither has inflatio n. Everyo ne has an o pinio n, a belief. Perso nally, I see the weakness in the price o f go ld sto cks as an o ppo rtunity. And thats why Im buying mo re o f them to day.
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Michae ls Pe rso nal No t e s: Gas prices reach all-time high, co mmuters express need fo r gas cap lo cks, read the headline o n the 6 8 0 news.co m web site. But have no fear, o ur go vernment is telling us that inflatio n is under co ntro l. I believe that China is telling the truth abo ut its inflatio n rate. And its dealing with it. Yesterday, China anno unced inflatio n fo r April was running at 5.3%. The Chinese go vernment wo uld like to see the rate at fo ur percent and, in its attempt to reach that go al; China has been raising interest rates and the reserve requirement ratio fo r its co mmercial banks. Ive been writing fo r mo nths that the inflatio n pro blem in No rth America is much bigger than the go vernment o r media ackno wledges. Im still o f the o pinio n that the Federal Reserve will co me o ut with ano ther fo rm o f QE1 and QE2 when QE2 ends next mo nth. The greater the Feds effo rts to expand the mo ney supply, the greater the lo ng-term hyperinflatio n risks. Whe re t he Marke t St ands; Whe re it s He ade d: End o f the bear market rally? After all, the Do w Jo nes Industrials was do wn 130 po ints yesterday. No t a chance. Yo u o bvio usly read my co lumn fo r the reaso n that I have a different angle and view o n what is happening in the marketplace than mo st eco no mists and analysts. Sure, the bear market rally is tired and clo se to to pping o ut. But watching the ticker tape yesterday, I believe that the market do wndraft had mo re to do with a respo nse to the guilty verdict o f Galleo n Gro up LLCs Raj Rajaratnam than anything else. The securities po lice are tightening the strings o n Wall Street players and Wall Streets respo nse was, We do nt like it. The bear market rally in sto cks that started in March o f 20 0 9 , altho ugh very tired and lo ng in the to o th, co ntinues. What He Said: When I lo o k aro und to day, I see falling sto ck pricesI see falling ho use pricesand prices fo r retail go o ds sto res declining. The media has it all wro ng blaming (wo rrying abo ut) inflatio n. In my o pinio n, the single biggest threat to the U.S. eco no my and to the Fed in 20 0 8 is deflatio n. Yo u can bet the Fed will expand the mo ney supply and dro p interest rates aggressively, as deflatio n starts to rear its ugly head. Michael Lo mbardi in PROFIT CONFIDENTIAL, December 17, 20 0 7. Michael was o ne o f the first to warn o f deflatio n. By late 20 0 8 , wo rld eco no mies were embedded in their wo rst state o f deflatio n since the Great Depressio n.
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Stock Picking for New OpportunitiesWhat It Might Take for Another Major Advance
No Co mments Po sted by Mitchell Clark, B.Co mm. in earnings seaso n, eco no mic analysis , go ld mining, go ld sto cks, gro wth o ppo rtunities, share prices, small cap sto cks, sto ck market , sto ck picking o n May 5th, 20 11 Right no w the bro ader market is taking a well-deserved break after a pretty successful first-quarter earnings seaso n. This market needs a new catalyst if share prices are go ing to advance and there isnt o ne present just yet, so sto cks will trade o n the eco no mic news o f the day. So far this mo nth, the eco no mic data are generally po sitive, but no t o verly so . I think were go ing to be in a slo w gro wth enviro nment fo r quite so me time. With this backdro p, its fair to say that there wo nt be any majo r tailwinds fo r equity investo rs in the near future. Its a sto ck pickers market thats due fo r a co rrectio n. It is well-deserved, ho wever, and we have to ro ll with the actio n. In my eco no mic analysis, there werent very much ho me runs in the earnings department. The eco no my just isnt ro bust eno ugh to pro duce so me majo r o utperfo rmance. I wo uld say that, generally, large-cap results were decent in the first quarter and the o utlo o k fo r the seco nd quarter is abo ut the same. Fo r smaller co mpanies, which are still repo rting their numbers right no w, there hasnt been much in the way o f o utperfo rmance either, altho ugh several mining sto cks came o ut with excellent financial gro wth due to stro ng spo t prices. This was expected by the marketplace and even the mo st ro bust miner is selling o ff right no w. The sto ck markets been due fo r a break fo r quite a while and its natural fo r this to o ccur between earning seaso ns. As an investo r, I wo uld be in no rush to take o n new po sitio ns in this market, but I wo uld be keeping a clo se eye o n go ld po sitio ns. This is lo ng-term trend thats no t go ing away. A number o f very so lid small-cap go ld mining sto cks are retreating in this market and this is a secto r thats ripe fo r so me stro ng trading actio n later in the year. As Ive been writing, I still feel that the precio us metal secto r represents so me o f the mo st attractive gro wth
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o ppo rtunities fo r equity investo rs and that any majo r co nso lidatio n o r co rrectio n in the secto r wo uld be a great entry po int fo r new po sitio ns. If there isnt any new catalyst o n the upside, there isnt o ne o n the do wnside either. This is a sto ck market that will likely drift o ver the near term. Its called sto ck market malaise and it reflects a certain wariness as to whether eco no mic gro wth is sustainable this year. Institutio nal investo rs remain unsure. Sto ck picking o ver the very near term is go ing to be difficult as the bro ader market drifts. Theres no need fo r any majo r actio n just yet. I do nt see the equity market advancing in any meaningful way until we get to seco nd-quarter earnings seaso n. The current break has definitely been earned.

Gold Burning up the Chart: My Gold Advice

No Co mments Po sted by Geo rge Leo ng, B.Co mm. in go ld advice, go ld investment, go ld prices, go ld sto cks, o il sto cks, silver sto cks o n April 29 th, 20 11 What a few mo nths it has been fo r go ld. With war wo rries in Libya to debt co ncerns in Euro pe and the United States, alo ng with rising demand o ut o f China and India, it appears to be the perfect sto rm fo r driving go ld prices higher. In fact, the break at $1,50 0 was much so o ner than I had expected and, based o n the chart, prices co uld go even higher, albeit the buying may be so mewhat ahead o f itself and hence vulnerable to so me pro fit-taking. The June go ld bro ke to a reco rd high o f $1,535.10 o n April 28 and is lo o king to go higher. The chart sho wed a bullish inverse head and sho ulders fo rmatio n in March. Prio r to this, there was a bullish V fo rmatio n in January and early February. The June go ld made a stro ng breako ut at the $1,440 resistance that was in place since No vember 20 10 in early April. Alo ng with the upward push, the trading vo lume in the June go ld been surging during the breako ut and this is bullish. The co ntract is abo ve its 50 -day mo ving average (MA) o f $1,441. The bias remains bullish. The mo ving average co nvergence-divergence (MACD) has been flashing a buy signal since early April; but be careful, as we co uld be in sto re fo r a reversal.
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Investing in go ld is a safe haven play when the market risk rises. Go ld has rallied in each o f the last 10 years and sho ws a beautiful bullish price chart. My go ld advice wo uld be to accumulate go ld o n weakness. The situatio n in Libya co uld wo rsen and there are also tensio ns in Iran and o ther Middle East co untries. This means added glo bal risk. Oil is trading at o ver $112.0 0 per barrel o n the threat o f mo re disruptio n in o il fro m Libya and o ther o il-pro ducing co untries. In my view, the key determinant o f ho w go ld will fare will depend o n the directio n o f sto cks alo ng with the geo po litical tensio ns. If the Middle East situatio n wo rsens, it wo uld drive up o il prices, which wo uld impact eco no mic gro wth at a time when the eco no mies co ntinue to be at risk. Also , do nt fo rget abo ut the mo unting debt and deficit in the United States. The co untry has o ver $14.0 trillio n in debt and is paying billio ns in interest daily. Many states are struggling to make ends meet and are lo o king at severe cuts in the state budgets. Silver has also fo llo wed go ld higher, with the May silver futures co ntract abo ve $48 .0 0 an o unce. It appears set to take a run at $50 .0 0 . The near-term picture with silver is also extremely bullish o n strengthening Relative Strength, but at the same time o verbo ught. Silver is a play o n the eco no mic reco very, as its fo und in electro nics. I also like co pper as a play o n the reco vering glo bal eco no mies, especially in industrial applicatio ns and ho using. My advice o n playing the co mmo dities is to buy go ld sto cks, silver sto cks, and o il sto cks o n weakness.

Stock Prices and Corporate Profits: The Divergence Explained

No Co mments Po sted by Michael Lo mbardi, MBA in bear market rally , co rpo rate earnings, first-quarter earnings, go ld investment, go ld prices, go ld sto cks, Sto ck Market Advice , sto ck market o pinio n, sto ck prices o n April 27th, 20 11 The go o d o ld times must be back. So far this mo nth, 31 majo r co mpanies have filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Co mmissio n to go
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public, the highest number since the summer o f 20 0 7. Co rpo rate earnings? Theyre bo o ming again, to o . Just lo o k at so me o f these first-quarter earnings repo rts: Fo rd Mo to r Co mpany (NYSE/F), the seco nd largest U.S. car maker, made $2.55 billio n. Jo hnso n & Jo hnso n (NYSE/JNJ) made $3.48 billio n. The Go ldman Sachs Gro up, Inc. (NYSE/GS), fifth largest U.S. bank, po sted a $2.74-billio n pro fit. Wells Fargo & Co mpany (NYSE/WFC) po sted a $3.76 -billio n pro fit. JPMo rgan Chase & Co . (NYSE/JPM) made a $5.56 -billio n pro fit. Five co mpanies; $18 .0 billio n in first-quarter pro fit. Why did I cho o se these five? Because all o f them repo rted earnings substantially higher than in the same perio d o f 20 10 ! Co rpo rate pro fits are back big-time and this is adding fuel to the bear market rally in sto cks that investo rs have been so enjo ying fo r 26 mo nths no w. But when we lo o k clo ser at the five co mpanies I list abo ve, all five, except fo r Fo rd Mo to r Co ., have their sto cks selling substantially belo w their five-year highs. The sto ck market is a leading indicato r, no t a lagging indicato r. By pricing the sto cks o n my list abo ve, except fo r Fo rd, well belo w their five-year price high, the sto ck market is telling us that it do es no t believe that the better-than-expected earnings repo rts will co ntinue. As fo r Fo rd, the co mpanys sto ck is trading clo se to its highest level in 10 years. As we all remember, this is the o nly majo r car co mpany that did no t get a bailo ut fro m Washingto n during the credit crisis. Michae ls Pe rso nal No t e s: Go ld investo rs are no ticing that, while go ld bullio n is rallying to new reco rd highs ($1,50 9 per o unce as I write this mo rning), the go ld sto cks are lagging the rally in go ld bullio n. Why is this? In my 10 -year invo lvement in this go ld bull market, Ive o ften no ticed that either go ld sto cks o r go ld bullio n lead the bull, but rarely bo th. We are in o ne o f tho se perio ds where go ld bullio n is breaking to new price highs and the go ld sto cks are failing to fo llo wits almo st like the go ld sto cks do no t believe that go ld prices are mo ving so high! I believe that go ld sto cks are fo rming a stro ng base fro m which to make their next advance. Theres no escaping ithigher go ld bullio n prices lead to higher pro fits fo r go ld mining co mpanies. Just this mo rning, Barrick Go ld Co rpo ratio n (NYSE/ABX), the wo rlds largest go ld-pro ducing co mpany, repo rted that it made a $1.0 -billio n pro fit in the first quarter o f 20 11, up 22% fro m the same perio d o f 20 10 .
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There are many go o d buys in the junio r and senio r go ld sto ck secto r right no w. Whe re t he Marke t St ands; Whe re it s He ade d: The Do w Jo nes Industrial Average has climbed 1,0 38 po ints so far this year, up 8 .9 % fo r 20 11. The S&P 50 0 o pens this mo rning at its highest level since June o f 20 0 8 . Ive been calling it a bear market rally since March o f 20 0 9 and all I can say is that this bear has failed to disappo int. As I have been saying fo r o ver two yearstechnically, yo u do no t trade against the trend, which has been upward. And, fundamentally, yo u do no t fight the Fed. We are living in the mo st acco mmo dative mo netary po licy perio d in histo ry. Sho rtterm interest rates are near zero . The Federal Reserve is taking actio ns weve never seen befo re. Add to all this a stro ng co rpo rate earnings quarter and, bang, the rally marches o n. But there are cracks in the lining, my dear reader. Lo ng-term interest rates are rising, the U.S. do llar is under immense pressure to devalue, inflatio n is beco ming a pro blem, and memo ries o f the wo rst recessio n since the Great Depressio n are fading fast. Enjo y the pro fits fro m this bear market rally while they last, because they will no t last much lo nger. Upside pro fit po tential in sto cks (five percent to 10 % higher) do es no t o utweigh the risks. What He Said: Overbuilt, o ver-speculated, o ver-financed and o verdo ne. This is the Flo rida real estate market right no w. Fo r tho se lo o king to buy fo r perso nal use o r investment, ho ld o ff! The best deals are yet to co me. I co ntinue with my predictio n that the hard landing in the U.S. ho using market, which is no w affecting lenders, will have significant negative effects o n the U.S. eco no my. Michael Lo mbardi in PROFIT CONFIDENTIAL , April 3, 20 0 7. Michael started talking abo ut and predicting the financial catastro phe we started experiencing in 20 0 8 lo ng befo re anyo ne else.

Railroad Stocks & Goldthe Two Best Sectors of the Equity Market
No Co mments Po sted by Mitchell Clark, B.Co mm. in earnings seaso n, go ld prices, go ld sto cks, investing in go ld, railro ad sto cks, silver prices , Sto ck Market Advice o n April 27th, 20 11 There are a lo t o f bellwether co mpanies to repo rt o ver
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the next co uple o f weeks and the trading actio n in sto cks will be fo cused o n that news. I still do nt think that this earnings seaso n has been anything to write ho me abo ut. Fo r a number o f large-cap co mpanies, the earnings have been so lid, but there havent been any grand slams. The fact is that this eco no my cant pro duce much in the way o f o utperfo rmance, with the po ssible exceptio n o f go ld sto cks. Railro ad sto cks are still lo o king great in this market and thats always a go o d sign that general eco no mic activity is getting better. The railro ad co mpanies o perate like the acco unting co ncept: first in/first o ut. They see impro ved eco no mic activity first and they see it go just the same. The majo r railro ad sto cks are trading just o ff their price highs. CSX Co rpo ratio n (NYSE/CSX) just repo rted a 30 % impro vement in earnings, as freight vo lumes increased. Street analysts already raised their earnings guidance fo r the co mpanys seco nd, third and fo urth quarters, all o f 20 11 and 20 12. If yo u want to kno w where the bro ader sto ck market is headed, just fo llo w the railro ad sto cks. Investing in go ld and o ther precio us metals co ntinues to pay o ff regardless o f whats happening in o ther secto rs o f the eco no my. The new $7.8 -billio n bid by Barrick Go ld Co rpo ratio n (NYSE/ABX) fo r co pper pro ducer Equino x Minerals Limited (TSX/EQN) is the latest big acquisitio n in the mining business. Equino x Minerals has been a po werho use mo neymaker. The sto ck did very well o ver the last 10 mo nths, and then pulled back with co pper prices. Then, a Chinese co mpany made an unso licited bid fo r the co mpany, but the Street figured that ano ther, friendlier bid wo uld surface (and rightly so ). The sto ck traded well abo ve its o riginal takeo ver price and no w the trade is o ver. Yo u can bet that, with go ld prices and silver prices trading right at their all-time price highs, mo re mergers and acquisitio ns will be co ming. This secto r in my view remains perhaps the mo st attractive fo r equity speculato rs in the current enviro nment. And this is kno wing that mo st o f the go o d go ld sto cks in that universe have already go ne up. With mining co mpanies almo st dro wning in cash, they have no where else to put this excess cash flo w but to purchase o ther miners. I can almo st see the investment bankers dro o ling o ver the pro spects o f mo re deals co ming do wn the pipeline. I do feel that the equity market lo o ks tired and that a co rrectio n o r meaningful co nso lidatio n is increasingly likely after first-quarter earnings seaso n is o ver. As Ive written recently, investo rs do nt need to be in a rush to take much actio n in this market. Things lo o k like theyre to pping o ut.

The Key to Successful Speculation in Mining Stocks

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No Co mments Po sted by Mitchell Clark, B.Co mm. in earnings seaso n, go ld sto cks, investment strategy, mining sto cks, Sto ck Market Advice , sto ck picking , sto ck prices o n April 25th, 20 11 I was beginning to get a little wo rried that this earnings seaso n was go ing to be a dud. Just like the eco no my, there is gro wth o ut there, but it isnt unifo rm. Investo r sentiment is still so mewhat sideways abo ut the state o f things. I still see the main sto ck market averages as getting clo se to to pping o ut. It sho uld happen within the next two quarters. The co mmo dity price cycle remains in full fo rce and just abo ut everything related to precio us metals, o il and agriculture is go ing up in value. Its a unique time in capital markets, as we do nt get a fully fledged upward co mmo dity price cycle all that o ften. In my view, its a lo ng-term trend that sho uld be fully embraced. Investing in go ld is a prio rity if yo u want to have expo sure to the current cycle. As yo u kno w, mo st precio us metals have already experienced significant price increases o ver the last several years. The spo t prices o f go ld and silver co ntinue to hit new highs at this time. Fo r investo rs in this secto r, established junio r pro ducers with stro ng explo ratio n po tential o ffer so me o f the mo st co mpelling o ppo rtunities fo r risk-capital equity speculato rs. The entire precio us metal industry is swimming in cash and theres go ing to be a lo t o f buying and selling o f who le co mpanies this year and next. Interestingly, a lo t o f co mmo dities have seen their prices mo ve co mmensurately with sto cks o ver the last while. Its like the glo balized eco no my (and speculato rs) are speaking with o ne vo ice. I do think bo th sto ck prices and mo st co mmo dities can experience further price appreciatio n o ver the very near term, with the likeliho o d o f a co rrectio n happening so o n. If this happens to bo th sto cks and co mmo dity spo t prices, Id definitely be a new buyer o f go ld shares. I prefer the buy-lo w/try-to -sell-high investment strategy as a general rule. There are always mo mentum trades in the sto ck market. There are always special situatio n o ppo rtunities. But in the case o f go ld and silver, Im a lo ng-term bull, so I do nt have any pro blems with investo rs speculating in shares that have already experienced big price mo ves. The key to successful go ld mining speculatio n as an equity investo r is to buy a package, which is a kno wn miner with well-regarded management thats gro wing pro ductio n and earnings, and bo asts excellent pro spects fo r further mineral disco veries that can co me into pro ductio n. The investing universe fo r these kinds o f co mpanies is actually quite small. So far this year, Ive seen so me substantial capital gains amo ng sto cks o f precio us metal pro ducers; no t because o f stro ng spo t prices, but because o f takeo ver bids. Mergers and
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acquisitio ns in this industry are ripe fo r acceleratio n and its a key co mpo nent o f the risk/return ratio with mining co mpanies. Fo r no w, its time to enjo y the go o d financial results in large-caps. Im co nfident that the go o d news will co ntinue, but no t fo r every industry. I think well get a co rrectio n so o n and this means a great o ppo rtunity to add to precio us metal po sitio ns.

The Dilemma for Investors with Money to Spend on Stocks

No Co mments Po sted by Mitchell Clark, B.Co mm. in first-quarter earnings , go ld sto cks, investment risk , Sto ck Market Advice , sto ck picking o n April 20 th, 20 11 Its a to ugh market fo r equities right no w because theres no expectatio n fo r majo r gro wth. So far, big co mpanies havent said eno ugh o n the subject and, with o ther less-than-enthusiastic news, the sto ck market is waffling. In fact, the main sto ck market indices co uld experience a to tal breakdo wn here if the numbers fro m co rpo ratio ns do nt start impro ving. Investo rs bet big o n stro ng first-quarter results and while, so far, big co mpanies are repo rting gro wth, theyre no t repo rting numbers that are beating co nsensus and this means that share prices are very unlikely to advance. In this kind o f enviro nment, new sto ck picking sho uld go o n the backburner. Its a wait-and-see market and, like the eco no my, first-quarter earnings results arent go ing to be unifo rm at all. Texas Instruments Inco rpo rated (NYSE/TXN) just repo rted first-quarter financial results that missed co nsensus. This impo rtant benchmark co mpany in the semico nducto r industry repo rted gro wth, but no thing to write ho me abo ut. Like many sto cks in the techno lo gy secto r, this o ne lo o ks like its ro lling o ver. And the banking industry hasnt repo rted numbers that have been up to snuff. Yes, there is gro wth, but, fro m my perspective, the numbers arent impro ving eno ugh to warrant new po sitio ns in the secto r. This is the situatio n the bro ader sto ck market finds itself in right no w. First-quarter numbers are generally better, but no t by much. I co me back to the go ld mining industry as o ne o f the few secto rs with any gro wth left in them. No w that everyo ne is newly wo rried abo ut debt and deficits (because Standard &
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Po o rs says so ), upco ming currency wars are making the case fo r go ld that much better every day. With the news we have right no w, I have to say that investment risk in equities remains high. The bro ader market already went up so lidly in anticipatio n o f stro ng first-quarter earnings. Co mpanies so far arent beating co nsensus and they arent guiding higher. This presents a dilemma fo r investo rs with mo ney to spend o n sto cks. Do es the risk justify the po tential return? Sho uld yo u be a buyer o f new po sitio ns in this kind o f market? I say no to bo th questio ns, and it isnt that I do nt expect the eco no my to impro ve o r that co rpo ratio ns wo nt keep gro wing their earnings. With the news we have right no w, the gro wth isnt stro ng eno ugh to justify any bo ld new mo ves. Were at a time no w when a lo t o f previo us expectatio ns are co ming to gether. What develo ps next is anyo nes guess. One thing I kno w is that I wo uldnt sell any go ld o r silver. This is the o nly gro wth industry left and it might just be the o nly sto re o f value go ing if the so vereign debt issue cascades.

Why the Biggest Profits in the Gold Bull Market Are Still Ahead
No Co mments Po sted by Michael Lo mbardi, MBA in go ld advice, go ld bull market, go ld investment, go ld prices, go ld sto cks, investment advice o n April 18 th, 20 11 Its to o late, the easy mo ney has been made, is the mo st co mmo n respo nse I get fro m investo rs when I ask them why they do no t have expo sure to the go ld bull market. No thing co uld be further fro m the truth. Yes, go lds had a pheno menal run-up in price, rising fro m under $30 0 .0 0 an o unce in 20 0 2 to $1,48 0 to day a gain o f 39 3%. I wro te these no w famo us wo rds in PROFIT CONFIDENTIAL back o n December 13, 20 0 2: Ive been pushing go ld bullio n and go ld shares fo r o ver a year no w. Bank in January 20 0 2, I perso nally started buying go ld-related investments. And, while many investo rs feel that it is to o late to get into the go ld bull market, I co ntinue buying in. Actually, Ive been buying go ld-related investments all the way alo ng; mo st recently when go ld was trading at $1,40 0 an o unce. Here are two reaso ns why I keep buying and why I believe the biggest gains fo r go ld investo rs lie ahead:
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Firstly, the shares o f quality go ld-pro ducing co mpanies are lagging the rise in the price o f the metal. Lo o k at the shares o f Barrick Go ld Co rpo ratio n (NYSE/ABX), o ne o f the wo rlds largest go ld-mining co mpanies. Back in 20 0 2, Barricks sto ck traded at $20 .0 0 . To day, it trades at $53.0 0 , a gain o f 175%, while go ld bullio n is up 39 3% in the same time perio d. Same thing with Newmo nt Mining Co rpo ratio n (NYSE/NEM), ano ther majo r go ld pro ducer. Its sto ck traded at $25.0 0 in early 20 0 2; to day, it trades at $57.75, fo r a gain o f o nly 130 % go ld bullio n, o ver the same time perio d, beat the gain three-fo ld. The sto ck market wo rks o n supply and demand. The mo re demand fo r a certain sto ck o r type o f sto ck, the higher the price go es. The great majo rity o f mutual funds in existence to day are no t investing in go ld sto cks. As time passes and go ld prices co ntinue to rise, investment pro fessio nals will start to view go ld as a must have in their po rtfo lio . Demand fo r quality go ld sto cks will rise. Go ld sto cks will start to fare better than go ld bullio n itself. The seco nd reaso n why the biggest gains fo r go ld investo rs lie ahead has to do with the basic pro fitability o f the majo r go ld mining co mpanies. Barrick, Newmo nt, and Go ldco rp Inc. (NYSE/GG) have fixed co sts at their existing mines, so their pro fits rise sharply as go ld prices rise. Lo o k at it this way: a go ld mining co mpany has a co st o f pro ductio n o f $8 0 0 .0 0 an o unce. At $1,48 0 an o unce fo r go ld, the co mpany is enjo ying a gro ss pro fit o f 8 5% o n its co st o f go ld. No w, if go ld prices went to $2,50 0 an o unce (which I expect go ld bullio n to easily surpass), the go ld mining co mpany pro ducing go ld at $8 0 0 .0 0 an o unce all o f a sudden sees its pro fit margin jump to 213% and, bangthe sto ck price takes o ff. The biggest pro fits in go ld lie ahead, because we are still in that phase o f the go ld bull market where sto cks are lagging the price advance o f the underlying co mmo dity. Bo tto m line: investment pro fessio nals still do no t believe go ld is wo rth having in their clients po rtfo lio s and the great majo rity o f investo rs do no t have expo sure to go ld. As we enter phase three o f the go ld bull market, go ld sto cks will start to lead, as o ppo sed to lag, the advance in go ld prices. Michae ls Pe rso nal No t e s: It was bo und to happen The big news this mo rning: New Yo rk-based Standard & Po o rs credit rating agency do wngraded the U.S. AAA credit rating fro m stable to negative. Ive been writing abo ut this co ming event fo r mo nths. The quickly rising natio nal debt o f the U.S., and lack o f any meaningful effo rt to reduce o ur annual deficit wo uld so o ner o r later cause the security o f debt instruments to co me under questio n. Ho w it usually wo rks: first a co untrys debt rating is cut (like the U.S. debt rating was cut
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to day), then interest rates in that co untry rise to o ffset the new perceived risk in its debt securities (in this case, U.S. Treasuries). First we had lo ng-term interest rates rise, no w sho rt-term interest rates will co me under pressure to rise. If the sto ck market go es do wn big-time to day, which I expect it will, the reaso n will be the markets increasing realizatio n that higher interest rates in the U.S. are just aro und the co rner. Whe re t he Marke t St ands; Whe re it s He ade d: The bear market rally that fo llo wed the early 19 30 s sto ck market crash started in Octo ber 19 34 and lasted until August 19 3735 mo nthsand to o k the Do w Jo nes Industrial Average fro m a level o f 9 0 to 18 5, a gain o f 10 6 %. The current bear market rally in sto cks started back in March o f 20 0 9 and is enjo ying its 26 th mo nth o f gains, having bro ught the Do w Jo nes Industrial Average up 9 3% so far. As I have been writing, the current bear market rally is no t o ver yet. While upside po tential is limited, there is ano ther five percent to 14% left o n the upside fo r this market. The Do w Jo nes Industrial Average o pens this week up 6 .6 % fo r 20 11. What He Said: If I had to pick o ne sto ck exchange that wo uld rank as the best perfo rmer o f 20 0 7, it wo uld be the TSX (Canadas equivalent o f the NYSE). Interest rates in Canada remain very lo w and they are no t expected to rise anytime so o n. Americans lo o king to diversify their po rtfo lio s, bo th as a hedge against the U.S. do llar and a play o n go ld bullio ns price rise, sho uld co nsider the TSX. Mo st bro kers in the U.S. can buy sto ck o n this exchange. Michael Lo mbardi in PROFIT CONFIDENTIAL , February 8 , 20 0 7. The TSX was o ne o f the to p perfo rming sto ck markets in 20 0 7, up just under 20 % fo r the year.

Three Major Financial Trends Investors Can Profit From Today

No Co mments Po sted by Michael Lo mbardi, MBA in financial trends, go ld prices, go ld sto cks, interest rates, real estate market, Sto ck Market Advice , sto ck prices , U.S. Treasuries o n April 8 th, 20 11 Three majo r trends in the financial markets, all fro m which investo rs can make mo ney, co ntinue their develo pment this mo rning
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Trend #1: Rising lo ng-term interest rates. The 10 -year U.S. Treasury hit a yield o f 3.6 % Friday mo rning. My fo recast calls fo r the bellwether 10 -year Treasury to easily sail past 4.0 % this year. Ive been predicting that bo nd investo rs wo uld take a hit since the summer o f 20 10 , and thats exactly what has been happening. The yield o n the 10 -year Treasury sits to day at the same po int it did in January o f 20 0 8 but sho rt-term interest rates were a lo t higher back then. Pressure is no w mo unting fo r sho rt-term rates to rise as well. The writing is o n the wall with this o ne: lo ng-term interest rates are rising despite the Feds QE2 effo rt, which is o mnibus. Investo rs sho rting lo ng-term bo nds are bo o king, and will co ntinue to reap serio us pro fits this year. Trend #2: Sto ck prices will co ntinue to rise in the immediate term. We to ld o ur readers to jump into sto cks in March o f 20 0 9 , and have kept them in sto cks since then. The Do w Jo nes Industrial Average has risen 9 3% since March 9 , 20 0 9 . Yes, the easy mo ney has been made in the sto ck market, but there is ano ther five percent to 10 % upside pro fit po tential. Each passing day, mo re and mo re investo rs are beco ming co nvinced that the wo rst is o ver fo r the eco no my. They will be pro ven wro ng, but, in the meantime, the cash o n the sidelines will push sto ck prices higher. The bear market rally o f the past two years has been a true classic, panning o ut just as I expected, with mo re upside left. Investo rs can co ntinue to reap immediate-term pro fits fro m the sto ck market (almo st anything, except real estate sto cks, has been go ing up o ver the past 25 mo nths), but, as lo ng-term yields hit fo ur percent and get clo ser to five percent, the market rally will be deflated like o ne big ballo o n. Trend #3: Go ld prices are at abo ut halfway in their bull market cycle . This mo rning, go ld bullio n is up ano ther $12.50 an o unce, clo sing in o n $1,50 0 per o unce. Since 20 0 2, I have been yelling, screaming, to anyo ne who wo uld listen: Buy go ld related investments! I co ntinue to believe that go ld is headed to $2,50 0 to $3,0 0 0 per o unce. The U.S. do llar index chart ($USD) is abo ut to break majo r suppo rt, the Fed is getting nervo us abo ut lo ng-term inflatio n, and the Chinese are o n a buying spree trying to get their hands o n as many decent precio us metal explo ratio n and develo pment co mpanies they can. There are plenty o f quality go ld sto cks listed o n senio r sto ck exchanges that will deliver serio us pro fits to investo rs this year. There yo u have it. My clo sing co mmentary fo r the weekthree majo r financial trends investo r can still pro fit fro m to day.
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Michae ls Pe rso nal No t e s: The widely expected mo ve by the Euro pean Central Bank to raise interest rates yesterday, after keeping them artificially lo w fo r three years, marks the first time in 40 years that Euro pe has mo ved to raise interest rates befo re the U.S. The Euro pean Central Bank (ECB) raised interest rates by o ne-quarter po int to 1.25%. The equivalent bank rate in the U.S. is between zero and o ne-quarter percent. Germanys eco no my is bo o ming, inflatio n risks are high, and the ECB is acting. Two mo re rate increases o f o ne-quarter po int each are expected by the ECB this year. The Euro pean Central Bank has no w jo ined the ranks o f Canada, India, China, New Zealand, Australia, Po land, and Sweden in raising interest rates po st-recessio n. The U.S. Fed, usually the glo bal leader in setting interest rates po licies, will so o n be the laggard in jo ining the glo bal trend o f rising sho rt-term interest rates. Whe re t he Marke t St ands; Whe re it s He ade d: A bear market in sto cks still presides. Expect co ntinued immediate-term rising sto ck prices. The sho rt- to lo ng-term picture co ntinues to deterio rate. What He Said: Yo uve been reading my articles o ver the past few mo nths and have seen ho w negative Ive beco me o n the U.S. eco no my. Particularly, I believe its the ramificatio ns o f the faltering ho using secto r that are being underestimated by eco no mists. A recessio n do esnt take much to happen. Its disappo inting mo re hasnt been written o n the po pular financial sites and in the newspapers abo ut the real threat o f a recessio n happening in 20 0 7. I want my readers to be fully aware o f my eco no mic o pinio n: I wo uldnt be surprised to see the U.S. eco no my in a recessio n so metime in 20 0 7. In fact, I expect it. Michael Lo mbardi in PROFIT CONFIDENTIAL, No vember 13, 20 0 6 . Michael was o ne o f the first to predict a U.S. recessio n, lo ng befo re Wall Street analysts and eco no mists even tho ught it a po ssibility.

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