We ended the month of April with a slight loss as the Dow fell 15 points on light volume.  The advance/declines were negative.  The overall market was weaker than the Dow.  The week could just end up being a waiting game for Fridays employment numbers as far as the stock indices are concerned.  That's just a guess as usual.  I would expect to see some beginning of the month money flows in the next couple of days though.  I have no OEX trades in mind here but I'd be leaning towards the calls.  GE was off about 1/4 on very light volume.  No hurry to put on any trades here but I am looking out to the July calls.  Gold was flat on the day after selling off early.  The US dollar gained just a bit.  The XAU fell 7/8 and was lower early on as well.  ABX and NEM dropped 1/4, while GG lost 7/8.  Volume was light.  My ABX May calls are still very much in the red with the exception of the purchase at the lower strike price.  Simply waiting for the earnings out on Wednesday morning.  That will determine if the loss will be big or small.  Three weeks left for the options but I doubt I'll be holding on for that long.  We'll see.  Mentally I'm feeling OK.  The stock indexes were getting short term overbought and todays action relieves some of that condition.  Todays daily candlestick pattern on the RUT looks ominous so we will have to see how things play out going forward.  Gold sold off and then came all the way back.  Perhaps that will be bullish going forward.  Just a waiting game on the May ABX call trade at this point.  We'll keep an eye on the foreign markets tonight and go from there.

Natural Gas Stocks are a Gas Gas Gas

Natural gas has tanked 39% this year, the worst performer of all the commodities. Natural gas should increase to $4 per million BTU pretty soon, according to Goldman Sachs (GS). This is primarily due to production cutbacks from major producers and increased demand from utilities this year. It is significant since gas dropped 39% this year, the worst performing of all utilities.

There are many publicly traded companies involved in the distribution of natural gas, to both homes and businesses, and over 15 over them have yields in excess of 3%. For example, TransCanada Corp. (TRP), based in Calgery, Alberta, Canada, owns and operates natural gas pipelines and regulated gas storage facilities throughout Northern California. The company, which trades at 20 times earnings, pays a generous yield of 4.0%. (Talk to your accountant about foreign withholding tax, especially when foreign stocks are put in a retirement plan.) Earnings for the latest quarter were up 37.5% on a 14.7% rise in revenues.

Enterprise Products Partners LP (EPD) is another high yielder gas company, which yields 4.9%. The stock trades at 21.6 times earnings, and earnings for the latest reported quarter ending December 31, were up an amazing 351.3% year over year, on a revenue increase of 20.9%. The company reports earning on May 2.

More options are available and worth further research including Northwest Natural Gas (NWN) at a 3.9% yield, WGL Holdings Inc (WGL) paying 4.0%, and Sempra Energy (SRE) at 3.7%. You can access a free list of over 25 natural gas companies, along with their price to earnings data, at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

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

By Stockerblog.com

A Daily Dose of Drama

Turner Network Television, more commonly known as TNT, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, which is a division of Time Warner Inc. (TWX) which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, has come up with an interesting way of giving someone a dose of drama.





Special thanks to Casey Research for finding this video.

We finished off the highs of the day but the Dow still managed a gain of 23 points on light volume.  The advance/declines were 2 to 1 positive.  The GDP number was lower than expected but the stock indices shrugged it off.  The trend is now up.  The summation index is moving higher.  Declines can now be purchased, in my opinion.  End of the month on Monday.  GE was up 1/8 on light volume.  Getting to short term overbought here.  Perhaps GE will take a rest now ahead of next Fridays employment report.  The overall market could follow this pattern as well.  Gold was up $4 on the futures as the US dollar sold off on the weak GDP report.  The XAU gained 2 1/4.  ABX up 3/4, GG rose 3/8 and NEM gained 1/8.  Volume was light with the exception of NEM.  The earnings for NEM were in line with expectations and the stock finished well off of the highs.  My May ABX calls are mostly still in the red.  I might be able to cut the loss a bit if the earnings surprise to the upside next week.  At any rate it looks like a loser overall.  Mentally I'm feeling OK.  The stock indexes are getting short term overbought here, so a pause would not be unexpected.  The key to next week will be Fridays employment numbers but if we are in rally mode they will be interpreted as positive regardless.  We'll see.  Gold had a pretty good week for a change and we will have to see if there is any follow through next week.  The ABX earnings on Wednesday will tell a lot about whether the May call trade has a chance.  At this point it's in the cut the loss mode.  Not much else from here on a Friday afternoon.  I'll check the charts over the weekend and go from there.

Three days in a row to the upside as the Dow gained 114 points on what passes for average volume these days.  The advance/declines were 2 to 1 positive.  Summation index continues to the upside, so higher stock prices can be expected in the future barring some unforeseen event.  The stock indices are in rally mode.  Calls are the way to go here.  We've got the 1st quarter GDP tomorrow but whatever the number is, it looks like we will simply continue to the upside.  GE was up about an 1/8 on light volume.  Things are looking constructive there as well but there is no hurry to put on a trade.  Gold had a good day as the futures rose $18 with the US dollar a bit weaker.  The gold shares did not follow as the XAU fell 2/3.  ABX was flat, GG lost 2 1/3, while NEM was up 1/4.  Volume was extremely heavy in GG as the earnings disappointed and the stock got crushed.  NEM announces its earnings report before the open tomorrow.  My ABX May calls are still losers with the exception of the lower strike price purchase.  I'll wait for the earnings next week and go from there.  The volume on the May ABX calls was really big today.  We'll see how that plays out going forward.  Mentally I'm feeling OK.  The stock indexes are in rally mode and we will see if we can take out the March highs.  I believe that we will but time will tell.  Tomorrows GDP report should be a mover for the US dollar and hence gold as well.  We're still oversold on the gold shares and still in the extreme buy zone on the Gold/XAU ratio.  Hasn't meant any price upside though in the past few weeks.  My feeling is that it won't stay that way forever.

Top Yielding Electric Utilities

With the volatility of the stock market recently, many investors have decided to stick with the tried and true income generating investments called utilities. Investors like the steady income and relative stability of electric utility stocks, which pay quarterly dividends. Some income investors use a 'laddering' technique, whereby they purchase three utilities with dividend payout days in different months, in order to achieve income coming in every month of the year.

The yields on these stock range from 3.0% to above 7.0%, according to the free list of electric utility stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. There are over 30 different utilities to choose from.

An interesting utility is Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. (HE). This is one of the leading utilities involved in the utilization of renewable energy sources for the generation of electricity. The sources include wind, solar, photovoltaic, geothermal, wave, hydroelectric, sugarcane waste, municipal waste, and other biofuels. There must be something to this as the latest reported quarterly earnings ending December 31 were up over 38% on a 22% increase in revenues. With a 4.7% yield and trading at 17 times forward earnings, this stock might be worth a closer look. On May 8, the company reports earnings for the quarter ending March 31.

 Duke Energy (DUK) also pays 4.7%, as does Westar Energy (WR). They also both happen to have forward price to earnings ratios of 14.

Another high yield example is Ameren Corporation (AEE), which operates as a public utility holding company which serves customers in Missouri and Illinois. The stock trades at 17 times forward earnings and pays a nice yield of 5.0%. This St. Louis based company generates its electricity from coal, nuclear, gas, and hydroelectric sources. The company reports earnings on May 4.

For a list of over 30 high yield electric utility stocks, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

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

 By Stockerblog.com

A rally from the open today as the Dow gained 89 points on average volume.  The advance/declines were 3 to 1 positive.  The earnings from Apple were the catalyst for todays market action.  The Fed announcement was a dud.  Nothing new stated there.  The summation index should now be moving back to the upside which means that this rally could have legs.  The next important piece of news will be the 1st quarter GDP report out on Friday.  GE was off a touch after being much higher early.  Not exactly sure what that means going forward.  No trades in the near term there for me but I am still perhaps interested in the July calls.  Gold had a volatile session as it sold off hard on the Fed announcement but came all the way back to finish virtually unchanged.  The US dollar was slightly lower.  The XAU gained 3 1/8 as the gold shares outperformed the precious metal for a change.  ABX up 1/3, GG rose 5/8 and NEM led the way higher by 1 1/8.  Volume picked up here.  The majority of my May ABX calls are showing a loss, with a slight gain for the lower strike price purchase.  We'll get GG earnings tonight followed by NEM tomorrow morning.  If they are halfway decent perhaps ABX will rise in sympathy.  The ABX earnings are due next week.  Not sure that will help this trade but I will probably hang on until then.  Mentally I'm feeling tired, did not sleep enough.  The Fed has come and gone and the market is now in rally mode.  The small stocks had a gap to the upside this morning and that is very bullish.  Calls are in order for the stock indices.  Gold made a good comeback today but it still seems like it is just dead money there.  We will need to see some type of upside follow through there for my gold share calls to have a chance.  And by that, I mean a chance to cut the loss.  We'll see how the overseas markets fare tonight and go from there.

A mixed market today as the Dow was higher but the NASDAQ lower.  The Dow gained 74 points on light volume.  The advance/declines were 2 to 1 positive.  Waiting on the Fed here in my opinion.  We will wait for that announcement tomorrow and see how the markets reacts.  The summation index continues lower.  GE was up 1/2 today on OK volume.  If GE is a precursor for the overall market, then a rally is imminent.  That is yet to be seen though.  Gold was back up $10 on the futures as the US dollar was weaker.  The XAU was flat.  ABX and NEM were down a touch, while GG gained 3/8.  Volume was light.  GG earnings out tomorrow after the close.  My order for the May ABX calls at a lower strike price was filled today and they are slightly in the black.  The original ABX May call trade remains mired in the red.  Tomorrows Fed announcement should produce some movement in the gold shares one way or the other.  Very oversold both short and medium term for the gold shares but we have yet to see any type of rally.  Mentally I'm a bit tired, did not sleep enough.  All eyes and ears on the Fed tomorrow and if GE along with the transportation index are leaders as they often are, then I'm looking for some type of stock index rally.  But anything can and will happen.  It could also just be a non-event but I doubt it.  Of course I'll be keeping an eye on what gold does.  Earnings this week for GG and NEM.  That will also produce some movement in ABX.  We'll see what happens tomorrow.  

A negative start to the week as the Dow fell 102 points on light volume.  The advance/declines were over 2 to 1 negative.  The stock indexes started the day with a huge decline at the open and never really recovered.  The summation index continues lower.  I'm not sure what is going on here but the weak volume isn't a positive.  Perhaps we are simply marking time until the Fed announcement.  Getting short term oversold on the daily charts but we aren't there yet.  GE had a gap to the downside and finished off 1/3 on light volume.  No trades in mind here but I am starting to consider going out to the July calls.  There is no hurry though.  Gold fell $10 on the futures but came back a bit in the aftermarket.  The US dollar was higher today.  The XAU fell 3 points but was lower early.  ABX off 5/8, GG fell 1 1/3 and NEM dropped a buck.  Volume was heavy here.  My ABX May calls are still very much in the red and this trade is looking like a big loser.  That said, todays action seems like a washout to the downside.  The daily candlestick chart for ABX appears to have formed a hammer or star today.  I'm leaving in an overnight order for some more ABX calls at a lower strike price.  This isn't something that I would normally do but unless the stock indices and gold simply collapse here, it looks like a bottom for the gold shares.  The Gold/XAU ratio is the highest that I've seen it in years.  We'll see.  Mentally I'm feeling a bit tired, did not sleep well.  We're still in a sideways consolidation on the daily charts for the S&P 500.  Plenty of economic data this week so perhaps we will break out one way or the other.  I've been a believer in the gold shares here and so far that is not working out.  If we don't see some upside this week I'll probably just have to take my losses and move on.  Waiting on the Wednesday Fed announcement.  

Socially Irresponsible High Yield Stocks

Many investors and a few mutual funds will purposely avoid investing in certain companies that are in industries that are not considered socially responsible, such as Alcohol, Animal Testing, Weapons, Gambling, Tobacco, Oil, Coal, and Nuclear Energy. However, stocks in one of these industries, cigarettes and tobacco, the yields re quite high.

Cigarettes are still selling well, in spite of the cigarette pack warnings, in spite of the anti-smoking cigarette commercials, and in spite of the upcoming gross anti-smoking warnings that are expected to appear on cigarette packages.

I don't smoke and I don't ever remember investing in a tobacco company. But there are investors who are just primarily concerned about the financials of a company, as opposed to the company's products. There are actually ten publicly traded cigarette and tobacco companies, most of which pay decent dividends, that have been turned up by WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. Yields range from 3.5% to 9.3%.

One example is Lorillard, Inc. (LO) has a dividend payout rate of 4.5%. The stock, which markets the Newport, Kent, True, Maverick, Old Gold, and Max brands, trades at 14 times forward earnings.

Altria Group Inc. (MO), which is a Virginia based company that makes and markets cigarettes, cigars, and beer. It is the largest cigarette company by market cap in the US. The stock has a forward price to earning ratio of 13.5, and pays a very generous yield of 5.5%. The company's brands include Marlboro, Virginia Slims, Parliament, Benson & Hedges, Basic, L&M, Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky.

Reynolds American Inc. (RAI) makes and markets cigarettes and other tobacco products including the Camel, Kool, Pall Mall, Doral, Winston, Salem, Misty, Capri, Dunhill, and Natural American Spirit brands. The stock has a forward PE ratio of 13.1, and pays a nice yield of 5.4%.

For a free list of all the high yield tobacco stocks, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. Also, if you haven't seen the Graphic Color Anti Smoking Pictures to Appear on Cigarette Packs, you should check them out.

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


By Stockerblog.com

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the First Week of May 2012

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends'. This is the process of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend. This technique generally works only in bull markets. In flat or choppy markets, you have to be extremely careful, and may need to avoid the technique during those times.

In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can't sell the stock until after the ex date. The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend during the next week or two. The list contains many dividend paying companies, all with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the market capitalization, the ex-dividend date and the yield.

CMS Energy Corporation    (CMS) market cap:    $5.7B    ex-div date: 5/2/2012    yield: 4.3%

E.ON AG (ADR)    (EONGY) market cap:        $43.1B    ex-div date: 5/1/2012    yield: 5.8%

National Penn Bancshares    (NPBC) market cap:        $1.4B    ex-div date: 5/2/2012    yield: 3.1%

Natural Resource Partners LP    (NRP) market cap:        $2.6B    ex-div date: 5/2/2012    yield: 8.9%

Plains All American Pipeline, L.P.    (PAA) market cap:        $13.0B    ex-div date: 5/2/2012    yield: 5.2%

Intel Corporation    (INTC) market cap:        $138.2B    ex-div date: 5/3/2012    yield: 3.0%

The Southern Company    (SO) market cap:        $39.8B    ex-div date: 5/3/2012    yield: 4.3%

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found at wsnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn't show up, you may have to empty your cache.) If you like dividend stocks, you should check out the high yield utility stocks and the Monthly Dividend Stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com.

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

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


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

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

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

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

By Stockerblog.com

Weekly Facebook Stock News April 23

Here is the latest news about Facebook stock and the upcoming Facebook IPO stock offering:


Facebook's pending IPO poised to shake up SV150 rankings

Does Timing of Facebook IPO matter?

Use Facebook to Buy Stocks

Facebook will Float on Stock Market on May 17

Woman Accused of Selling Fake Facebook Stock
 
Additional Charges in Fake Facebook Stock sale

Facebook May Have Paid MORE Than $1 Billion For Instagram

Here's How Much Facebook Thinks It's Actually Worth

For a free list of companies that own Facebook stock, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com

Coffee Beans Help With Weight Loss: More News You've Been Waiting For

Here is some great news for coffee drinkers interested in losing weight. According to a recent study presented at the American Chemical Society's meeting in San Diego, participants in the study who took unroasted, green coffee bean extract lost in excess of 10% of their body weight on average, in less than six month. Please note: that's not ten pounds, that's ten percent. So for someone weighing 150 pounds, that's a 15 pound loss. For someone who weighs 250 pounds, it is a 25 pound loss.

The study analyzed 16 overweight adults between the ages of 22 to 46 years of age. The average weight loss was 17 pounds with a 16 percent decrease in body fat, with no side effects. Researchers at the University of Scranton believe that it may be due to the chlorogenic acid in the unroasted coffee bean. Unfortunately, roasted coffee has much less of this ingredient than unroasted coffee.

From an investor standpoint, there are many coffee companies available as investments. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has recently updated its list of publicly traded companies in the coffee business, several of which pay dividends.

A major wholesaler of green coffee is Coffee Holding Co. (JVA), which also markets private label coffee and branded coffee in the US and Canada. The company has 90 varieties of raw green coffee beans which it imports from around the world and sold to large and small operators. The stock trades at 8.2 times forward earnings and pays a CD-beating dividend yield of 1.3%. Earnings for the latest reported quarter rose by an incredible 51.6% on a 120% increase in revenues. The company has $7.36 million in cash, giving the stock $1.16 in cash per share.

On the retail side, there is Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc. (PEET), a specialty coffee roaster, marketer, and retailer founded in 1966 in Berkeley, California. The stock trades at 32 times forward earnings. Revenues for the latest quarter were up 10.9%, but earnings dropped by about 12.2%. The company does not pay a dividend.

Starbucks (SBUX) is the largest coffeehouse retailer in the world, with outlets in 50 countries and over 17,000 shops worldwide. The stock trades at 25.5 times forward earnings and pays a yield of 1.2%. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 10.2% on an 16.4% increase in revenues.

The J. M. Smucker Co. (SJM) sells the Folgers brand of coffee, along with spreads, toppings, and beverages. The stock has a forward price to earnings ratio of 15.2 and a very favorable yield of 2.4%. Earnings dropped 11.5% on an 11.8% rise in sales.

For a free list of about 20 coffee stocks, including more than half a dozen that pay dividends, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. The list can be downloaded, sorted, and updated.

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

By Stockerblog.com

Use Facebook to Buy Stocks

This article is not about buying Facebook stock, it is about logging into Facebook then using the Facebook platform to build your portfolio by buying stocks. So now you don't need to use Merrill Lynch, Schwab (SCHW), E*Trade (ETFC), or TD Ameritrade (AMTD).

A company called Loyal3 plans to offer its stock trading program through Facebook in May. However, its not your typical brokerage account. First, the minimum investment is only $10. Second, there is no commission to buy. And third, no commission to sell. The trading program is called program a Customer Stock Ownership Plan, or CSOP.

Loyal3 is also planning on offering an IPO CSOP which allow investors to get in on new stock offerings with an investment as small as $200.

One thing that does surprise me is that they even allow the purchase of shares with credit cards. I thought that there was some sort of Federal Reserve Board restriction on that relating to Reg T. Maybe the rules have changed. Anyway, I hope the company gets more non-investors to become shareholders, since less than 20% of Americans own stocks. With a three click easy access through Facebook, that should happen.

For a free list of stocks that own shares of Facebook, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

We came well off the highs of the day but the Dow managed to close with a gain of 65 points on average volume.  The advance/declines were 2 to 1 positive.  The overall stock indices were weaker than the Dow.  Basically sideways for a couple of weeks now after the recent decline.  I still think we could go either way here.  The GE earnings came out and the market liked what it saw.  The stock gained 1/4 on good volume but also came off of its highs.  It really wasn't the type of gain that I was looking for though.  I don't have any trades in mind here at the moment.  Gold was up a buck or so on the futures despite a weaker US dollar.  The XAU fell 1 1/2.  ABX off 2/3, GG was flat and NEM dropped 1/2.  Volume was light except for ABX which was average.  My ABX calls are now deeply in the red.  We have also now broken down through the recent congestion zone with todays negative action.  It appears that my idea for the gold shares here is wrong.  There are still 4 weeks to go in these options but we would have to turn around a lot in a hurry.  I'm still holding them until we see what happens next week.  Mentally I'm feeling OK, slept good enough.  Plenty of economic data out next week so we will have to see how the market reacts to it.  The stock index technicals are still mid-range on the daily charts.  Right now it looks like gold is simply dead money.  The US dollar fell today and gold didn't even move.  The Gold/XAU ratio is deeply in the buy zone again and nothing is happening.  There seems to be absolutely no interest in owning the gold shares.  I built a position in the ABX May calls and it's looking more and more like a loser.  I'll check the charts again over the weekend and get ready for Monday morning.  We could be in a holding pattern until the Fed announcement on Wednesday.  For now it's Friday afternoon and time for a break.

A mostly down session today as the Dow fell 68 points on average volume. The advance/declines were negative. The summation index continues lower. The stock index technicals remain mid-range. We still could go either way here. If we do start to fall and get a positive divergence on the McClellan oscillator, that would be a decent buy signal in my opinion. Or the market could simply continue higher from here. I think that for now it's still a toss up. GE was flat on the day and the volume was pretty good. The earnings out tomorrow will probably set the trend for the stock indexes for the day. The technicals here are neither overbought or oversold. Any position in GE held now has a lot of risk. Gold was up a couple bucks on the futures and the US dollar bounced around but finished the day basically unchanged. The XAU was up early but closed the day with a 1/4 point loss. ABX off 1/8, GG was up 1/2 and NEM off a touch. Volume for the gold shares was nothing special. My ABX May calls continue in the red as the time decay occurs. I'm going to at least hold on here until at least next week. Oversold both short and medium term for the gold shares but they haven't rallied. The market will do what it wants. Mentally I'm feeling tired, did not sleep enough. Expiration Friday tomorrow. We'll get through that and wait for next week when we get the Fed, 1st quarter GDP and some gold share earnings. Patience is required sometimes.

Weekly News for Facebook Stock

The latest weekly news about Facebook stock and the Facebook IPO.

Possible Dates Released for Facebook Stock to Hit Markets

Seeking 'Second' Life After Facebook

How Instagram founder Kevin Systrom became Insta-Rich

Why Facebook bought Instagram

Facebook insiders stay pals

Facebook’s IPO: What We Know Now

27 Ways to Buy Facebook Stock Before It Goes Public



For a free list of stocks that own shares of Facebook, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Back to the downside as the Dow fell 82 points on light volume. The advance/declines were 2 to 1 negative. The McClellan oscillator is trying to get through the zero line but has failed once again. This will keep the summation index continuing lower for now. The stock index technicals are mid-range, which means we could go either way here. Worries about Spain today but any excuse will do. The volume has been pretty anemic lately and we would need some volume to push prices higher. The overall market was better than the Dow and that is usually a positive going forward. GE lost 1/4 on light volume. Just waiting on the earnings report due Friday. Gold fell $11 on the futures and the US dollar really didn't move much today. The XAU dropped a point. ABX off 1/4, GG fell 7/8 and NEM lost 3/8. Volume light here as well. I left in an open order for some ABX May calls and it was filled this morning. The position has now been completed on the buy side. It is already under water but I plan on holding it for a couple of weeks unless we have some type of market breakdown. We'll see what happens. No interest in gold at the moment. Mentally I'm feeling a bit tired, did not sleep enough. 2 days left in the April option cycle. The gold share call position has been established. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Warren Buffett Weekly News April 17

The latest news about Warren Buffett, head of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B).

Warren Buffett Showed Up at Jimmy Buffett concert

Two Investment Letters that Warren Buffett Always Reads

Buffett Rule Would Reduce Deficit by Less than 4%

Invest Better than Warren Buffett

Buffett's Timeless Rule of Investing

Warren Buffett Secretary Flack

Sex vs Warren Buffett

Warren Buffett Entertaining Videos

For a free list of Warren Buffett stocks, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Last Week of April 2012

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends'. This is the process of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend. This technique generally works only in bull markets. In flat or choppy markets, you have to be extremely careful, and may need to avoid the technique during those times.

In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can't sell the stock until after the ex date. The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend during the next week or two. The list contains many dividend paying companies, all with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the market capitalization, the ex-dividend date and the yield.

Savanna Energy Services Corp. (SVGYF) ex-div date: 4/26/2012 yield: 4.5% market cap: $420.8M

Wajax Corp (WJXFF) ex-div date: 4/26/2012 yield: 6.7% market cap: $460.9M

Bird Construction Inc (BIRDF) ex-div date: 4/26/2012 yield: 4.8% market cap: $534.7M

DNP Select Income Fund Inc. (DNP) ex-div date: 4/26/2012 yield: 7.2% market cap: $2.6B

Cellcom Israel Ltd. (CEL) ex-div date: 4/30/2012 yield: 16.9% market cap: $1.3B

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found at wsnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn't show up, you may have to empty your cache.) If you like dividend stocks, you should check out the high yield utility stocks and the Monthly Dividend Stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com.

Dividend definitions:

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Stockerblog.com

A huge day to the upside as the Dow climbed 194 points on light volume. The advance/declines were 3 to 1 positive. Some good earnings reports but nothing really out of the ordinary. Coming off of the recent short term oversold condition. The question now is the recent decline done? I certainly don't have the answer but it could be. It is expiration week and the positive bias seems to be in effect. Today was also the last day to contribute to retirement plans due to the income tax deadline. We'll have to see if there is any upside follow through tomorrow. GE rose 3/8 on light volume. Earnings out on Friday. No trades there for now but the calls are looking good after todays action. Tomorrow is another day. Gold was pretty much flat on the day after selling off early. The US dollar was flat. The XAU rose 1 3/4. ABX up 1/2, GG gained 1/3 and NEM 1/8 higher. I tried to complete yesterdays ABX trade but the order was not filled. I'm leaving it in overnight. I'm still thinking that the calls are the way to go here and going out to May is the strategy. We'll see what happens. Mentally I'm feeling OK. The S&P 500 is trying to hang on at its 50 day moving average line on the daily charts. How that is resolved will probably let us know the near term market direction. The summation index is still heading lower but another day like today will reverse that. Hasn't happened yet. When gold sold off early today, the gold shares didn't follow. That could indicate positive action coming up for the gold stocks. Or not. I'm still a believer in getting long the gold shares here but I've been wrong before. Quite often this year with the gold shares as well. We'll see if the foreign markets follow us higher tonight.

A mixed day in the markets as the Dow gained 71 points on light volume. The advance/declines were positive. The overall market was much weaker than the Dow and that usually isn't bullish going forward. The technicals are still more oversold than overbought. Summation index heading lower. It's option expiration week. GE was flat on the day and the volume was very light. Could be in a holding pattern until the earnings report on Friday. That's a guess. No trades here for me at the moment. Gold fell $10 on the futures with the US dollar lower as well. Not exactly sure what that means. The XAU dropped 2 1/3. ABX off 3/4, GG fell about 1/4 and NEM down by 1/2. I tried to add to my ABX May call trade but my order was only partially filled. The ABX calls are in the red but I still think this trade is the way to go. I'm not sure if I'll try and complete the rest of todays partial fill tomorrow. We'll see. Mentally I'm feeling OK. I get the feeling the stock indexes could go either way here. I think that I would still wait for a positive divergence on the McClellan oscillator before trying the OEX calls. However there are only 4 days left for the April option cycle. The Gold/XAU ratio is at the point where the risk/reward for trying the gold share calls clearly favors an attempt. That's one of the reasons I'm giving them a shot. Plenty of time for the trade to work is another advantage in trying them here and now. We'll see what happens.

Chocolate May Keep You Slim: The News You've Been Waiting For

All right, you like to eat chocolate, make that LOVE to eat chocolate, but you are concerned about your figure. Well, maybe you need not be concerned any more. Fortunately for you, researchers at the University of California at San Diego discovered that people who ate lots of chocolate tended to be slimmer than those who ate less chocolate.

Researchers believe that the results of the study may be due to the fact that chocolate ingredients may favor weight loss more than fat creation. According to the study, which was published in Archives of Internal Medicine, there was a correlation between regular chocolate consumption and lower BMI.

So what companies may benefit from the chocolate craze? Here are a few ideas from WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, which has a free list of about a dozen chocolate and candy stocks, most of which pay dividends. Here are some ideas:

Hershey (HSY), largest manufacturer of chocolate in North America
Forward PE ratio 21.9, yield 2.5%.

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (RMCF), makes and markets chocolate caramels, creams, mints, and truffles
Forward PE ratio 15.6, yield 4.3%.

Nestle (NSRGY.PK), famous chocolate manufacturer
Forward P/E ratio 18.7

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B), Warren Buffett's company, owns See's Candies (obviously a very small portion of its portfolio)
PE ratio 19.1

Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli (LSPN.DE) (COCXF.PK), sells its products under the Lindt, Ghirardelli, and Caffarel brands.
PE ratio 23.2

If you want to see a free list of all the publicly traded chocolate and candy stocks, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. The list, which includes several companies that pay dividends, can be downloaded, updated, and sorted.

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

Big Pharma: A High Yield Contrarian Play

If you look at the index of big pharmaceutical stocks and compare it to the Standard and Poor's 500, you will notice that pharma was down almost 2% year-to-date, whereas the S&P 500 was up about 9% from the beginning of the year. Are these companies being ignored? Are concerns about the patent expiration issues being overdone? Although several of these stocks have had risen over the last year or so, contrarians may want to take a closer look at some of them, especially due to the high yields.

The other reason for looking at dividend stocks in the health care sector is the Baby Boomer growth. This is especially true for long term investors. Based on the free list of high yield big pharmaceutical stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are ten pharmaceutical stocks with yields of 4.0% or more, with two stocks paying more than 5%. One example is GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK), the third largest pharmaceutical company in the world by revenues, after Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Pfizer (PFE). Glaxo's products include Aquafresh, Boniva, Dexedrine, Levitra, Nicoderm, Nicorette, Sensodyne, Tums, and Valtrex. The stock pays a generous yield of 5.8% payable quarterly. It trades at 11.6 times forward earnings.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), the world's largest pharma company, is a manufacturer of pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer packaged goods. The company, which was founded in 1886, yields 3.6% and has a forward price to earnings ratio of 11.7.

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK), another big pharmaceutical, yields 4.2% and trades at 10.2 times forward earnings. This is the company that makes such products as Levitra, Nasonex, Claritin, Clarinex, Coppertone, and Bain de Soleil. They even make Antivenin for the treatment of black widow spider bites.

If you want a list of over a dozen high yield pharma stocks, that can be downloaded and sorted, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author owns PFE.
By Stockerblog.com

Back to the downside today as the Dow closed the week with a loss of 137 points on light volume. The advance/declines were 3 to 1 negative. We got an oversold bounce and it now looks like we'll head back to test the recent lows early next week. We are still more to the oversold side on the daily stock index charts. The summation index continues lower. I'd like to think that I have an idea of which way we are going but I don't. I will probably look for a positive divergence on the McClellan oscillator next week and perhaps trade that. However it will be option expiration week. That usually brings with it an upward bias but with the recent volatility, anything goes. GE was off 3/8 on light volume. Earnings out in a week and I'm most likely not going to trade this issue in the near term. I was fortunate to get out of the GE trade that I did this week without a loss. The weekly technicals have rolled over to the downside here. Gold fell $20 on the futures today as the US dollar had a good day to end the week. The XAU fell 2 3/4. ABX off 5/8, GG dropped 1/3 and NEM lost 7/8. Volume was light. I bought some ABX May calls this morning. I'm a believer in this trade. The gold shares are oversold both short and medium term. Going out to May gives this trade plenty of time to work. I might even add to the position next week. Todays gain in the US dollar could be a problem for golds bullish case and it will have to be kept an eye on. As usual my idea here could be completely wrong as well. Mentally I'm feeling OK, slept better for a change. Volatility has returned to the stock market for whatever reasons. There may be something going on here that we will only find out about later. Trading could be even trickier than usual. I'm trying the gold share calls again and that hasn't really worked well for me so far this year. I'll go over the charts again this weekend and take it from there. It's Friday afternoon and time for a break.

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Fourth Week of April 2012

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends'. This is the process of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend. This technique generally works only in bull markets. In flat or choppy markets, you have to be extremely careful, and may need to avoid the technique during those times.

In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can't sell the stock until after the ex date. The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend during the next week or two. The list contains many dividend paying companies, all with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the market capitalization, the ex-dividend date and the yield.

The Clorox Company (CLX) ex-div date: 4/23/2012 yield: 3.5% market cap: $8.8B

Royal Bank of Canada (RY) ex-div date: 4/23/2012 yield: 3.9% market cap: $83.7B

Cliffs Natural Resources Inc (CLF) ex-div date: 4/25/2012 yield: 3.5% market cap: $10.1B

Boardwalk REIT (BOWFF) ex-div date: 4/26/2012 yield: 3.3% market cap: $2.7B

Bank of Montreal (BMO) ex-div date: 4/27/2012 yield: 4.7% market cap: $38.0B

Hasbro, Inc. (HAS) ex-div date: 4/27/2012 yield: 4.0% market cap: $4.7B

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found at wsnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn't show up, you may have to empty your cache.) If you like dividend stocks, you should check out the high yield utility stocks and the Monthly Dividend Stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com.

Dividend definitions:

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Stockerblog.com

Warren Buffett Weekly News

The latest news about Warren Buffett, head of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B).

Warren Buffett Building Newspaper Empire?

Buffett puts money into Illinois homes

Obama Pitches Buffett Rule to Up Wealthiest Americans' Income Tax

Warren Buffett, Most Hated Man In America, By Millionaires

Don’t Take Home-Buying Advice from Buffett

Warren Buffett Vs Jamie Dimon Who is Right on Banking Reform?

Warren Buffett Dressed as a Paper Boy and Singing

For a free list of Warren Buffett stocks, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

A huge day for the stock market as the Dow gained 181 points on light volume. The advance/declines were about 5 to 1 positive. The sellers have disappeared for now. This bounce seems like it is the beginning of a move to new highs with todays action. Time will tell. No reason that I can see for such a huge move except for moving off of an extreme oversold short term condition. We'll see how we end the week tomorrow. GE was up almost 1/3 on light volume. I dumped the GE calls that I bought earlier this week for a slight 10% gain. The volume on the bounce here has been very light. This trade might be worth holding on to but I'm gone. The entry was early and this wasn't the most well planned idea. Gold gained $20 on the futures as the US dollar fell today. The XAU soared 6 points. ABX up 1 1/8, GG added 1 1/3 and NEM higher by 1 1/2. My order for the ABX May calls wasn't filled. I'm leaving it in overnight. This is a trade that I would really like to be in and I hope that I'm not too late. Gold is moving higher for no apparent reason and now the gold shares have taken notice. Mentally I'm feeling tired, did not sleep enough. The stock market has bounced pretty strong here. I did not expect it. The volume has been light though. My mind was taken up with the GE trade and I should have been paying attention to the gold shares. I was but it's better for me to do one trade at a time. There's still time for the gold share trade in my opinion but I should already be there. The small profit in GE is better than a small loss. However you don't trade options for small gains. I'll keep moving on to the next trade. 6 days to go in the April option cycle. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

We got a bounce today but finished off the highs as the Dow gained 89 points on light volume. The advance/declines were about 4 to 1 positive. I'm not convinced that this is anything but a bounce due to the light volume. But I could be wrong. We're still oversold in the short term for the stock indexes. The McClellan oscillator is bouncing as well. Tomorrow could tell a lot, one way or another. We haven't been as oversold on the stock indices since November. However if this is going to be a multi-week affair to the downside, the oversold condition will persist. It's really anybodies guess. GE was up 1/4 on light volume. The April calls I bought yesterday are slightly in the red. They were back at break even early in the session. This is a trade that I do not want to hold into the earnings report next week. I'll have to see how we open tomorrow and go from there. Gold was flat on the day and the US dollar was off a bit. The XAU fell 2 3/4. ABX off 3/8, GG down 7/8 and NEM lost a buck. Volume was light. My open order for the ABX May calls wasn't filled and I have left it in place. No interest in the gold shares today. I'm still probably going to try this trade if we see some weakness tomorrow. Mentally I'm feeling OK. Inflation data on tap for the next couple of days. I'm going to have to do something with the GE trade by the end of this week or I'll be holding it longer than I want. Hopefully if it moves into a profit tomorrow, I'll dump it. I'll be keeping an eye on gold overnight and be ready for the gold share calls tomorrow on any weakness.

The Chocolate Printer

How would you like to print your own chocolate? Unfortunately, it is a little too late for Easter, but not too late for chocolate lovers. Scientists from the University of Exeter in the UK have perfected a chocolate printer, a machine that would allow you to create your own chocolate candy one layer at a time. This is a type of 3D printer, an industry that is exploding. As a matter of fact, you can even print a car with a three dimensional printer.

Besides the pleasure of eating chocolate, many eat it for the health benefits, such as reducing wrinkles. Warren Buffett likes chocolate companies. His company, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B), owns See's Candies.

If you want to take a bite out of chocolate stocks, WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has a free list of about a dozen chocolate and candy stocks that may be worth feasting on. Most of these stocks pay dividends. Here are a few tasty morsels that may satisfy your portfolio.

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (RMCF), based in Durango, Colorado, makes and markets caramels, creams, mints, and truffles. The company, founded in 1981, has over 300 franchise locations in 40 states, plus Canada and the United Arab Emirates. The stock trades at 15.6 times forward earnings, and the company pays a mouth-watering yield of 4.3%. For the latest reported quarter, total revenues increased 4.6 percent, however, earnings dropped by 17%, mostly due to increased operating costs related to the Company's Aspen Leaf Yogurt division, an increase in uncollectable accounts reserves, and a drop in the franchise fees.

Hershey (HSY) is the classic name in chocolate, that was founded in 1894. It is the largest manufacturer of chocolate in North America and one of the largest chocolate and candy companies in the world. It is famous for its Hershey's Kisses which were invented in 1901 and the chocolate chips that were brought out in 1928. The stock has forward price to earnings ratio of 21.9, with a scrumptious yield of 2.5%.

Another chocolate company is Nestle (NSRGY.PK), which sports a forward P/E of 18.7. This Swiss chocolate manufacturer was founded in 1867.

If you want to see a free list of all the publicly traded chocolate and candy stocks, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. The list, which includes several companies that pay dividends, can be downloaded, updated, and sorted.

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

By Stockerblog.com

The market got clobbered today as the Dow fell 213 points on good volume. The advance/declines were 6 to 1 negative. Oversold and staying there. That hasn't happened for a while and it certainly isn't bullish. The McClellan oscillator is now even more oversold than yesterday and a bounce is imminent. But it is probably going to be nothing more than that. Something has changed here and I don't know what. We've broken the 50 day moving average on the S&P 500 daily charts and that is another negative. Earnings are starting to come out and perhaps the market knows they won't measure up. GE fell about 1/2 on good volume. I bought some April GE calls this morning and they are firmly in the red. This is a trade that probably isn't going to work. I don't think that I'll be waiting for the earnings report next Friday. If we bounce I will probably simply take the loss. I do not want to be wrapped up in this trade for long. Gold had a good day on the flight to safety. The precious metal gained another $15 on the futures. The US dollar didn't do much today. The XAU was higher by 1 1/8. ABX up 1/2, GG rose 3/8 and NEM led the way with a gain of a buck. Volume was good as money moved into the gold shares. The gold shares should be the next trade. Going out to May is the idea here. I'm leaving in an open order for some May ABX calls. The Fed is out with some words tomorrow and perhaps that will lower the price of the gold shares. That's a guess as usual. Mentally I'm feeling tired, did not sleep enough again. The stock indexes are practically in free fall. I'm not sure what is going on. Taking on the GE trade today was a mistake. I'll need to exit with any rebound there. I'm going to try the gold share calls again. It hasn't worked lately. We'll probably see some weakness in the foreign markets but I expect some type of rebound at some point tomorrow in the US. That's a guess as usual. It is probably a time to be careful as volatility has returned.

More Great Warren Buffett Entertaining Videos

Warren Buffett plays Ukulele and sings for Chinese New Year



Geico Commercial Warren Buffett Plays Axl Rose


You can find a free list of Warren Buffett Berkshire Hathaway stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Warren Buffett Dressed as a Paper Boy and Singing

Last week, at the Omaha Press Club Show, Warren Buffett, head of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B) was dressed up as an old fashioned paperboy and sang a song. Here is a video of the Warren Buffett entertainment. It starts after the first 15 second public safety announcement.



You can find a free list of Warren Buffett Berkshire Hathaway stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

A downside start to the week as the Dow fell 130 points on light volume. The advance/declines were about 4 to 1 negative. Summation index continues lower but the McClellan oscillator is at an area where a bounce can be expected. We are also short term oversold on the stock index technicals. I think any downside tomorrow can be bought for the short term. Beyond that, who knows? It should be an interesting week. GE dropped 1/3 on light volume with a gap to the downside. Oversold on the short term here as well. Not exactly sure what trade to take here but I'm now leaning towards the April calls. This would be a trade that hinges on the earnings that are due on expiration Friday in 9 trading days. Risky is the key term here. I do not think that I'll be trying the May calls here as previously planned. We'll see. I could change my mind tomorrow. Gold was up about $14 on the futures as the US dollar dropped a bit today. No real interest in gold here it seems to me. The XAU was up 2/3. ABX, GG and NEM were all up around 1/4 on light volume. The gold shares are blown out to the downside and I am considering the May ABX calls here even though my last few trades here haven't worked. The Gold/XAU ratio is off the charts and in the past that has been a reliable buy signal. I'm a believer that you have to buy things when nobody else wants them and that is certainly the case with gold at the moment. I could be wrong and often am but I still think this is a trade that I'm going to put on this week. Mentally I'm feeling a bit tired, did not sleep enough. Haven't really seen 4 days in a row to the downside for stock since last year. Is it the beginning of something longer to the downside or is it time to buy? Everyone is looking for the answer to that question. I do expect a bounce in the next couple of days. It's what happens after that to keep an eye on. Gold is going nowhere and the gold shares are in a funk. I still think that going out to the May calls there has a chance to work. We'll see how the overseas markets react to todays negative US stock market action and go from there.

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Third Week of April 2012

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends'. This is the process of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend. This technique generally works only in bull markets. In flat or choppy markets, you have to be extremely careful, and may need to avoid the technique during those times.

In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can't sell the stock until after the ex date. The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend during the next week or two. The list contains many dividend paying companies, all with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the market capitalization, the ex-dividend date and the yield.

Vale ADR (VALE) ex-div date: 4/16/2012 yield: 5.2% market cap: $72.4B

Comtech Telecomm. Corp. (CMTL) ex-div date: 4/18/2012 yield: 3.3% market cap: $628.1M

Western Asset Emerging Markets Debt Fund Inc (ESD) ex-div date: 4/18/2012 yield: 6.7% market cap: $629.2M

Western Asset High Income Fund II (HIX) ex-div date: 4/18/2012 yield: 9.8% market cap: $854.3M

Western Asset Managed Municipals Fund (MMU) ex-div date: 4/18/2012 yield: 5.8% market cap: $572.7M

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found at wsnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn't show up, you may have to empty your cache.) If you like dividend stocks, you should check out the high yield utility stocks and the Monthly Dividend Stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com.

Dividend definitions:

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Stockerblog.com

Accounting for Value

For medium term and long term investors, the book Accounting for Value by Stephen Penman may be just the book you are looking for. The book is based on the premise that valuation of stocks is actually a matter of accounting for value.

Penman covers how to evaluate investments, stocks in particular, by using practical accounting tools. The primary goal is to avoid the risk of paying too much. The investor can avoid speculation by accounting for value. The book helps investors grasp the comprehension of accounting in valuation.

For a practical book that will help you understand the use of accounting in understanding stock valuation, Accounting for Value is the resource you are looking for you.

Top Airline Stocks

During the last month, airline stocks have outperformed the Standard & Poor's 500. The Dow Jones U.S. Airlines Index was up 5.5% versus 4.5% for the S&P 500. This in spite of the recent news about pilot and flight attendant meltdowns, which you think might scare off a few passengers.

However, if the economy has hit bottom and is starting to to turn around, it might be worth taking a flier on airline stocks, as they may take off. According to the free list at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are about twenty airline stocks, several of which pay dividends. Not all of them are in great financial shape, and you may have to look outside the United States for the better quality airline companies.

For example, Lan Airlines (LFL) is a Chile based airline that provides passenger and cargo air transportation services. The company has over 120 passenger planes and offers its primary services in Chile, Peru, Argentina, Colombia, and Ecuador. The stock trades at 20.5 times forward earnings and pays a yield of 2.3%. Revenues for the latest reported quarter were up 19.3%, however, earnings dropped 31.6%.

Domestically, there is the Dallas, Texas based Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV), which operates about 700 aircraft throughout the United States. The stock has a forward price to earnings ratio of 8.2 and even pays a small dividend of 0.2%. Quarterly earnings wer up 16% on a 32% boost in revenues.

For a free list of approximately 20 airline stocks which includes information about the price-to-earnings ratios and yields, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

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

By Stockerblog.com

Kind of a waiting game for the stock market today as the Dow fell 14 points on holiday light volume. The advance/declines were negative. Summation index still heading lower. The technicals for some of the stock indexes are finally getting oversold on a daily basis. However tomorrows employment report should set the tone for the open on Monday. I have no idea what that will bring. We'll see what happens in Europe tomorrow, have a long weekend and go from there. GE was off 1/4 today on light volume. The weekly charts appear to have rolled over here. That would not bode well for the overall market if it continues. I will have to reassess my idea for the May calls here. Getting oversold on the daily charts. Gold bounced back a little over $15 today and the US dollar was higher as well. The XAU was off 1 3/4. ABX down 5/8, GG fell 1/3 and NEM dropped 3/4. Volume was still pretty good despite the holiday mode of the markets. The gold shares are very oversold and the Gold/XAU ratio is off the charts to the buy side. I will have to consider getting the calls here again but that hasn't worked lately. Mentally I'm feeling OK. I will be going over the charts this weekend and try to come up with some type of game plan for next week. 2 weeks to go in the April option cycle. My trading hasn't been very good lately and that will have to change for the better. It's a long weekend and time for a rest.

Top Selling Warren Buffett Books

Warren Buffett, the billionaire head of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B), is a top investor, trader, and author. These are the top selling Warren Buffett books, some are written by him and some are about him.

by Buffett

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

The Essays of Warren Buffett : Lessons for Corporate America Warren E. Buffett (Author)

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

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

about Buffett

Trade Like Warren Buffett

The Warren Buffett Way, Second Edition

The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

The Winning Investment Habits of Warren Buffett & George Soros

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

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

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

By Stockerblog.com

It looks like perhaps we're in store for an extended sell-off as the Dow fell 124 points today on average volume. The advance/declines were 4 to 1 negative. We did finish off of the lows but the action was decidedly negative. Yesterday we were down but did finish well off the lows. However today did not follow through to the upside. The summation index continues lower. We would have to have the stock indexes hold right where they are for the action to remain sideways. Doesn't feel like it. GE was down 1/4 on average volume. The May calls have gotten cheaper and may even get cheaper still. I will probably try this trade when the technicals get oversold. We're almost there. Gold continued lower, falling over $50 on the futures due to the Fed fallout from yesterday. The dollar also gained more ground today. The XAU dropped 6 1/3. ABX down 1 2/3, GG fell 2 3/8 and NEM off 1 7/8. Volume was heavy and it could have been a downside blow-off. Or not. GLD broke the near term support at 158. I will have to rethink my overall scenario for gold and the gold shares going forward. Obviously my thoughts here have been bullish but that has been wrong. Mentally I'm feeling tired, did not sleep enough. The stock indices are perhaps on the verge of an extended decline. That's a guess as usual. Some of the daily charts have pulled back to their 50 day moving averages. It will be telling if they hold or not. Gold is falling apart here and I don't think I'm ready to step in just yet. One trading day left in the week and the employment report coming out on the holiday. Things seem a bit more interesting than usual.

How to Beat CD Yields and Get Income Monthly

The average one-year yield for a bank certificate of deposit is currently 0.34%. Even if you tie up your funds in a five-year CD, the average yield is still only 1.15%. So what is an income investor to do? One very popular alternative is the closed end bond fund. One of the best features of this type of investment is the fact that many of them pay dividends monthly. Another monthly dividend alternative is the real estate investment trust.

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

These monthly dividend investments can be found at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, which lists almost 200 different companies that pay dividends monthly, over 50 of which have high yields in excess of 7%.

One example is The MFS Multimarket Income Trust (MMT) pays a yield of 7.1%. It invests in fixed in fixed income investments throughout the world. The stock trades at a 0.8% discount to net asset value. The company, which has been around since 1987, has a management fee of 0.82%.

Gas Natural Inc. (EGAS), previously called Energy, Inc., It is a distributor of natural gas in Montana, Wyoming, North Carolina, and Maine. It was founded in 1909. The stock pays a yield of 4.9% and sports a price to earnings ratio of 14.1.

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

LMP Real Estate Income Fund Inc. (RIT) is a way of investing in real estate and receive monthly income. It is an exchange traded fund that invests in real estate related companies including real estate investment trusts. It carries a yield of 7.9%, and has paid dividends since 2002. It is trading at a 14.9% discount to net asset value. The management fee is 1.2%.

Pengrowth Energy Trust (PGH) is a Canadian oil royalty income trust that yields 7.5%. The company was founded in 1988. The company explores, develops, and produces oil and natural gas reserves in western Canada.

Realty Income Corp. (O), one of the few stocks with a single letter stock ticker symbol, yields 5.1%. This real estate investment trust which specializes in commercial retail real estate, has been around since 1969. The stock trades at 18.2 times forward earnings.

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

A list of over a couple hundred monthly dividend stocks, including many that have yields of 6% or more, is available at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. Keep in mind that very high yields may not be sustainable.

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

By Stockerblog.com

A downer for the markets today as the Dow fell 65 points on slightly better volume than yesterday. The advance/declines were about 2 to 1 negative. The Fed beige book was a mover today as we sold off on the expectation that the easing is done. Well rates are at zero, so the easing has been done for a while. But the markets need excuses to move and that was todays. We were off more than 100, so a comeback was made. The summation index is still trending down. I expect the rest of the week to be quiet but I thought that yesterday as well. GE fell a touch on light volume. The technicals have rolled over here and I'm still looking for an entry point for the May calls. The game plan is to own the calls before the earnings report on expiration Friday. We'll see. Gold got hammered today after the Fed minutes. The precious metal was down $7 on the futures but lost another $25 in the aftermarket. The US dollar in contrast had a very strong day. This doesn't bode well for gold in the near term. The XAU fell 5 1/2. ABX off 1 1/4, GG shed 2 1/2 and NEM dropped 1 3/4. Volume was good to the downside. I had to dump the ABX April calls for a 30% loss. What had been a profitable trade turned into a loss rather quickly. However I was slow to get out as well. I'm still interested in the May gold share calls but I'm going to have to see how todays negative action plays itself out. Mentally I'm feeling OK, slept well enough. Although I'm still looking for higher prices here for the stock indices there is a possibility that we simply move sideways for a time. The month of April sometimes plays out like that. The technicals for the stock indexes are either overbought or mid-range. I'm still a believer for the GE May call trade for now. The recent ABX trade loss could have been avoided with better timing and tactics but that is always the case. The entry there was lazy and the exit wasn't quick enough. That is a recipe for failure. I'll have to regroup and try to do better the next time. If GLD breaks through 158, then I think the time for being long gold will have to wait. So I'll keep an eye on that. The Gold/XAU ratio has remained in the strong buy zone for so long that it is beginning to seem irrelevant. I'll probably stay on the sidelines for the rest of this week and go from there.

The Dow started off the shortened holiday week with a gain of 52 points on light volume. The advance/declines were about 3 to 1 positive. No news to speak of today. The technicals are still overbought for the stock indexes. However I'm still looking for higher prices going forward. I suppose we'll simply wait for the employment report on Friday although the markets are closed that day. Could be interesting. GE was off a touch on light volume. I'm waiting on the May calls there to get to a price that I'm willing to pay. Gold was up around $7 on the futures as the US dollar was lower. The XAU gained 3 1/2. ABX up 3/4, GG rose a buck and NEM added 7/8. Light volume here. My ABX calls are still in the black but the option premium is not moving as much as I would like or expect. Perhaps this is simply a case of it being a holiday week and the major players have found other ways to occupy their time. That's a guess as usual. The technicals have turned to the upside for the gold shares and that's a positive going forward. I'd still like to try the May gold share calls if the opportunity presents itself. I'm holding the April ABX calls for now but may simply dump them this week. Mentally I'm feeling OK, slept well enough. Perhaps todays market action will turn the summation index back to the upside. The positive beginning of the month money flows should stave off any major decline this week but you never know. We've got the Fed beige book tomorrow but the last time we got this, it was a non event. The Gold/XAU ratio is still in the buy zone but it has been for weeks. I'll be watching how the ABX calls move and take it from there.

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Second Week of April 2012

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends'. This is the process of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend. This technique generally works only in bull markets. In flat or choppy markets, you have to be extremely careful, and may need to avoid the technique during those times.

In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can't sell the stock until after the ex date. The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend during the next week or two. The list contains many dividend paying companies, all with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the market capitalization, the ex-dividend date and the yield.

Abbott Laboratories (ABT) ex-div date: 4/11/2012 yield: 3.4% market cap: $95.0B

Shaw Communications Inc. (SJR) ex-div date: 4/11/2012 yield: 4.6% market cap: $8.8B

Consolidated Communications Holdings Inc (CNSL) ex-div date: 4/11/2012 yield: 7.9% market cap: $584.3M

SAIC, Inc. (SAI) ex-div date: 4/11/2012 yield: 3.6% market cap: $4.5B

Saul Centers Inc (BFS) ex-div date: 4/12/2012 yield: 3.6% market cap: $775.4M

ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. (ARR) ex-div date: 4/12/2012 yield: 17.9% market cap: $1.2B

Harsco Corporation (HSC) ex-div date: 4/12/2012 yield: 3.6% market cap: $1.9B

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found at wsnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn't show up, you may have to empty your cache.) If you like dividend stocks, you should check out the high yield utility stocks and the Monthly Dividend Stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com.

Dividend definitions:

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Stockerblog.com