Investors 411 Blog

More Troops – Bad Bet

Nicholas Kristoff’ s editorial in today’s NYT on why more troops in Afghanistan is a bad bet. Investors411 praised the fact that we tripled aid to Pakistan.  Here’s Kristoff’s money quote.  “American policy makers were completely blindsided in recent weeks by outrage in Pakistan at the terms of our latest aid package — and if we can’t even hand out billions of dollars without triggering nationalistic resentment, don’t expect a benign reaction to tens of thousands of additional American troops. ”

Jobs Jobs Jobs

Investors411 has painted a bleak picture of long term job prospects for Americans over the last few month. When you add to this shadow banks are still in the shadows and foreclosure problem is at best stabilized you have a bleak picture for Main Street USA.  Perhaps those that have seen gains in their stock portfolio’s since the spring will spend and juice the economy. However, especially for older workers, as Abby Gold in the comments section points out, on Main Street its not a rosy picture.

Solutions – One specific help would be to extend something like the $8,000 homeowner credit for first time home buyers. 350,000 buyers took advantage of this program – it worked especially for lower priced homes. The ripple effect is those new home buyers have to furnish those homes. Two respected individuals have offered their solutions

• Mort Zuckerman (right of center – editor of US News & World mag.) in an editorial titled “The free market is not up to the job of creating work” suggests a “massive program(s)to restore stable jobs growth.” He suggests a National Jobs bank and allocating $65 billion toward it. LINK
• Tom Friedman (left of ccenter/pro business – NYT columnist) looks at the failures of America’s education system to keep up with the increasingly  globalized world.  Here’s the money quote – “While the subprime mortgage mess involved a huge ethical breakdown on Wall Street, it coincided with an education breakdown on Main Street — precisely when technology and open borders were enabling so many more people to compete with Americans for middle-class jobs. ” LINK

Pay Cuts on Bailed Out Companies

Obama administration is forcing pay cuts on top executives of 7 bailout firms. Good first step, but what about all those other shadow financial institutions who used the Fed or collected big time from AIG’s  bailout? Goldman Sachs & many others gets away without any claw backs in this. Huffington Post LINK or NYT LINK

STOCKS

AS ALWAYS, DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH BEFORE INVESTING!

Index	Percentage %	Volume
Dow	-0.90%	up
NASDQ	-0,59%	up
S&P500	-0.89%	up
Russell2000	-1.35%	-

Investors411 record – 4 1/2 years of beating benchmark S&P 500

(see results for last 1/2 year – click  6/25 & scroll down)

• Brown = repeat statements
• Green = usually bullish statements
• Red = Usually bearish statements

Technicals, Fundamentals & Analysis

This is a US stock market dominated by professionals and traders.  Some sort of programed trade kicked in the last hours and the pro’s left the building.  The volume way well above average and the fall from what was a rally was over 1%. Volume increased significantly in the last hour’s price collapse = Bears asserting dominance

The dollar fell significantly which almost always means US equities rally. This again = Bears asserting dominance

The dollar fell so overbought oil prices rose significantly LINK to chart +2.25 to $81.37 . Obviously oil prices above $80 is going to hurt ma and pa consumer in any recovery.  Sure looks like some entity or group is manipulating oil prices. Up 9 of last  10 days and going parabolic (up too far too fast)= Bears asserting dominance

The BDI rose (probably did not have time to react to swift fall in equities)

Reading the Tea Leaves – There is no specific fundamental(s) that you can point to that says yea that’s the reason stocks tanked in big time volume at in the last hour of trading.  Obviously “the Pro’s” know something us common investors do not. Earnings season has been much better than expected with companies beating on both TOP and bottom line. The dollar fell. The BDI is rising.  Stocks should be rising.

Stocks falling on good earnings news, a rising BDI and a falling dollar is a disconnect from what has been a historically a positive trend .  Think of this as a sign in the road saying WARNING SPEED BUMP AHEAD.

——–

Significant forecasting tools/Indexes for stock markets

(Besides #1 Volume & #2 Reaction to News)

BDI - The Baltic Dry Index measures the flow of goods by price (world trade) .

The BDI is @ 30% off its high (early June) Before that it gained almost over + 630% from its all time low of 663 in Dec. of 2008 (April 2009 high of 4291 )

The BDI rose a significant +85 points Friday and closed at 2917. A higher high price on its chart pattern has been confirmed and it sure looks like a bullish run could be starting. =  Bullish for stocks & world trade right now

——-

The Dollar is currently the #1 forecasting tool .

$USD - Check out the 6 month chart (to the left) or a multi year chart of the US dollar of the US dollar.

Mantra – Dollar up = US stocks down & Dollar down = US stocks up

US dollar fell a significant -0.55 % The dollar closed at $75.12 . We have developed a support now resistance (it’s called support on the way down and resistance on the way up) level just below $76 . The dollar closed below its support level. = Bullish for stocks

NB -

• Earnings will probably trump the dollar as the #1 influencing factor for the nest two weeks. But the falling dollar is the main driver of stocks right now and we have a long way to go till we hit last year’s $71 low.
• A slow decline in the dollar = good a rapid decline = bad .
  

Last year’s low was around $71,(March 08 ) so there is a long way to go before the major and very crucial support level is reached .

The dollar does have a support level around $74.00( a high from about a year ago – see long term chart)

Positions

The  Positions Section (top of blog) to see all the latest buys and sells

Trades made this week are updated at the end of the week. -  Sold 50% of position in EWZ and all of EWY. Have no position in XLE. Also for TRADERS (not investors) strongly considering buying some companies listed yesterday that had outstanding earnings, but have fallen over last few days.

AS ALWAYS DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH BEFORE INVESTING!

Capitalism’s Most Ruthless Monster

John D. Rockefeller who owned 90% of US  oil at the beginning of the last century many thought earned the title back then.  The NYT’s Frank Rich LINK , Salon’s Glenn Greenwald LINK and MSNBC’s Dillon Ratigan – LINK all seem to be nominating Goldman Sachs for this position.  Over the top analogy – yes. But it does have some basis in fact. Ratigan , a former analyst for two financial channels has the best explanation (video) .

Basically, GS  received $70 billion from the government & the Fed while the financial world almost collapsed.(see Ratigan video) GS took that $70 billion and bought everything financial for incredibly cheap prices in the collapse.  They bought stuff with our money that allowed them to keep from collapsing. They "didn’t pay a dime for this money." Basically "legalized theft."  As the authors point out former GS employees permeate both the Bush and Obama administration. How do we get rid of legalized theft?

• Demand claw backs
• Get rid of invisible exchanges
• Stop placing GS executive and their protégée’s  in charge of our government
• Limit (GS on track for $29 billion) bonuses to firms who got bailed out.

President Teddy Roosevelt broke up the big monopolies including Rockefeller/Standard Oil. Will any of this happen now? Not under the Obama administration or any Republican administration – Too many GS folks running government economic policy. Some bad PR perhaps, but like Rockefeller did, GS will throw shinny new nickels at the poor/us taxpayers – As taxpayers we got royally screwed.

Investing in GS and its main rival JPM (JP Morgan) may be similar to investing in a ruthless capitalist monster(s), but also an obvious financial winner(s) The competition was devastated, they have profits from our cash, the backing of our government, they’re smart and therefore, they rule. -Recommendation – Buy these stocks on dip s

STOCKS

AS ALWAYS, DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH BEFORE INVESTING!

Index	Percentage %	Volume
Dow	-0.67%	up
NASDQ	-0,76%	up
S&P500	-0.81%	down
Russell2000	-1.15%	-

Investors411 record – 4 1/2 years of beating benchmark S&P 500

(see results for last 1/2 year – click  6/25 & scroll down)

• Brown = repeat statements
• Green = usually bullish statements
• Red = Usually bearish statements

Technicals and Fundamentals

• prices fell and the #1 confirmation factor, volume, was mixed = Prices falling always bearish, but volume inconclusive
  
• Better than expected earnings for most companies yet markets fail to advance =  Short term bearish signal
• Dollar rose Friday (see below) = obviously short term  bearish for stocks, But longer term pattern bullish
• BDI (see below) forms higher high on its chart =bullish for worldwide recovery

FEARLESS FORECAST – Short term it looks like we are over bought and companies not moving higher on good earnings results. This is an indication of a short term correction. However The FED and the US government is not going to stop shoveling cash at the market as long as unemployment is so high. US companies are not hiring and will first hire abroad where labor is cheaper and growth faster.  So the cash shoveling will continue and Wall Street, once over bought situation is corrected, will continue to rise and the dollar fall.

Apple reports this evening

——–

Significant forecasting tools/Indexes for stock markets

(Besides #1 Volume & #2 Reaction to News)

BDI - The Baltic Dry Index measures the flow of goods by price (world trade) .

The BDI is @ 38% off its high (early June) Before that it gained almost over 630% from its all time low of 663 in Dec. of 2008 (April 2009 high of 4291 )

The BDI rose +40 points Friday and closed at 2728. This confirmed a higher high price on its chart pattern =  Bullish for stocks & world trade right now

——-

$USD - Check out the 6 month chart (to the left) or a multi year chart of the US dollar of the US dollar.

Mantra – Dollar up = US stocks down & Dollar down = US stocks up

US dollar rose +0.15 % The dollar closed at $75.62. We have developed a suppor t now resistance (it’s called support on the way down and resistance on the way up) level just below $76 . The dollar closed below its support level. = Bullish for stocks

NB -

• Earnings will probably trump the dollar as the #1 influencing factor for the nest two weeks. But the falling dollar is the main driver of stocks right now and we have a long way to go till we hit last year’s $71 low.
• A slow decline in the dollar = good a rapid decline = bad .
  

Last year’s low was around $71, so there is a long way to go before the major and very crucial support level.

Positions

The  Positions Section (top of blog) to see all the latest buys and sells

Review of Positions (Part 1) All recommendations for longer term investors unless otherwise indicated.

GLD – ETF for gold – Technically broke out over major resistance level at @ 100+. This is mostly a play that the US and other debt ridden G 7 nations will keep throwing money at economic problems till unemployment situation reverses itself. The longer this takes the higher GLD will go.  Mid 2010 is best read of tea leaves on this, but the created jobs will be tied to government bailouts in the US and not US companies producing jobs. – Recommendation – Buy the dip

EWZ – ETF for Brazil – This country is going parabolic in price now (not volume).  Going way up too far too fast. Very rich in natural recourses and more progressive government has meant more money for middle and lower classes who juice the economy and spend the cash. Due for a moderate/significant correction. Recommendation If there is a big spike in volume take some profits.

FXI – ETF for China – China has gone up too far too fast this year and is now lagging or mirroring US equities. China’s growth and huge stimulus package (relative to GDP) has led a worldwide recovery.  Somebody coined the word Chimerica and its true. Both economics are bound together through globalism.  The US middle & lower classes are shrinking , but the Chinese middle class and lower class is growing. This is now a decade(s) old trend.  Recommendation buy China on dips

EWY – S. Korea (much smaller position ) Tied to Chimerica, but N. Korea is a problem. Traders may want to take profits on any rally. There seem to be better countries to invest in like energy rich Canada, Australia or any country that is not consumed by debt and wasting money fighting wars. – Recommendation Hold or take profits on any rally.

More tomorrow. Including individual stocks.

AS ALWAYS DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH BEFORE INVESTING!

Investors411 record – 4 1/2 years of beating benchmark S&P 500

Perhaps the World’s Best Known Economist

Joe Stiglitz – Photo John Thys/AFP/Getty Images

Joe Stiglitz “is cited by more economists than any one else in the world” Stiglitz is an “economic prophet” and Nobel laureate who predicted the current economic meltdown. Investors411 has for years been quoting Stiglitz starting with the true trillion dollar cost of the Iraq war.

So why is the Obama administration ignoring this Nobel Prize winner? This is one of the major stories in this week’s Newsweek and can be found here .

Paul Krugman , another  Economic Nobel Prize winner goes even further here

Instead of surrounding himself with some progressive economists who warned of upcoming economic meltdowns, Obama has surrounded himself with a Goldman Sach’s crew featuring Larry Summers who participated in building the economic mess.Remember,  Goldman Sach’s, who was a prime mover in creating the economic mess and  took both bailout & Fed money, had a huge positive earnings surprise this quarter.

Health Care

Photo – WaPo

Jim DeMint the Republican Senator from S. Carolina who considers the Obama government “national socialist” (a nazi – like Hitler’s Germany ) says the right wing will use the health care debate to “Break Obama.” Story here

He’s right about the break Obama part.  If health care reform does not get off the ground this summer (some form passes both House and Senate) it will die because unemployment will rise before it falls. This will put Obama in a far weaker position.

It’s time for Obama to stop worrying about consensus building in congress and to start playing hardball.  WaPo on Obama’s next move Hardball?

Your Comments

Popeye adds some more information about the secret  fundamentalist group behind US politicians (see Thursday’s post & comments to the left) – The Family . You can find out a whole lot more here As you might have already guessed this group has strong links to Sarah Palin .

But it not the obviously hypocritical ties to the three adulterous  Republican politicians that is most ominous. It is the past ties and philosophy of this secret group and their allies that is even more significant. (more later)

STOCKS

AS ALWAYS, DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH BEFORE INVESTING!

Index	Percentage %	Volume
Dow	+0.37%	down
NASDQ	+0.08 %	down
S&P500	-0.04%	down
Russell2000	-0.54%	-

Investors411 record – 4 1/2 years of beating benchmark S&P 500

(see results for last 1/2 year – click  6/25 & scroll down)

Technicals and Fundamentals

• Brown = repeat statements
• Green = usually bullish statements
• Red = Usually bearish statements

We did have the best week in many moons for stocks . We did take out a resistance level on the benchmark S&P 500. We did have one day of strong volume confirming the price move.

However, after big gains like last week, technically, overbought markets need some rest. That plus the SPX is at 940 and this year’s high/major support level is 956.  We may appraoch this level, but the bulls need a rest. Hard to see other companies come in with the earnings results of Shadow Banks like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley Bearish momentum.

The NASDQ did close at a new high for the year and this certainly creates a Bullish pattern. Biggest fundamental of the week is Microsoft’ s earnings report and Apple also could give overbought index some bullish momentum.

Significant forecasting tools/Indexes for stock markets

BDI - The Baltic Dry Index measures the flow of goods (world trade) The big gains at the beginning of the weakened Thursday and more on Friday. It looks like we could be forming another lower high and that would reinforce the mid term bearish pattern. Remember, this index usually moths a lot smoother and turns more slowly than other indexes. It hasn’t turned yet but Bears seem to be gaining momentum

In a nut shell the BDI is

• short term - Bullish
  
• mid term -  Bearish pattern
• long term - Bullish pattern
  

$USD - The Dollar is on the verge of falling down through in its in its 5+ week long consolidation pattern between $79+ and 81+. It did briefly break its support level but rallied Friday. Dollar closed up 0.32 at $79.51.-

Fearless Forecast For the Week

Last Week’s Fearless Forecast – So expect a rise with some financial stocks reporting early in the week and that rally to get tempered later in the week This happened, but Investors411 failed to predict the magnitude of the rally till after Intel’s earnings.

This Weeks Fearless Forecast – Technically overbought markets need a rest . 30 to 40% of Dow & S&P report this week and it would be surprising to see as many positive earnings reports as last week.  Therefore, most likely a down week. But because the NASDQ broke out and created a higher high, we could see another shot at moving higher later this summer. It looks like bearish pattern developing on BDI. If so, this is trouble.

Positions

The whole Positions sections has been revised (Click on “Positions” at top of blog). Check it out

QLD – which was bought independently of “the Hedge” at 38.2 last week will get sold today . QLD closed at 40.47 Friday – why be greedy. We added a lot of positions last week. (QLD, IFN, EWZ, EWS ) Time to take profits on one.  Will buy back in on another dip.

The Hedge – The SDS part is down -3.44% and the QLD part up +5.51% The net gain is +2.07% We are hoping that the QLD outpreforms the SDS.

AS ALWAYS DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH BEFORE INVESTING!