A late move to the upside led the Dow to a 21 point gain today on average volume.  The advance/declines were 2 to 1 positive.  The overall market was stronger than the Dow which is bullish going forward.  Todays action doesn't bode well for my OEX puts.  A strong upside follow through tomorrow will probably doom them.  Hasn't happened yet.  We'll get the Fed and the market reaction to the announcement tomorrow.  It's also the beginning of a new month so we should see some positive money flows.  So we'll see.  Most foreign stock exchanges will be closed tomorrow.  GE was flat on the day and the volume was light.  No trades in mind for GE at the moment.  Gold was up only $4 on the futures as the US dollar took a decent drop today.  Gold will not go up in a straight line forever.  I would expect some type of backing and filling soon.  The XAU gained 1 1/2.  ABX up 1/2, GG gained 3/4 and NEM fell 1 2/3 on its earnings report.  Volume in the gold shares was good.  My October ABX calls are still in the black.  Mentally I'm feeling OK.  Positive action for stocks today as we push on to new highs for some of the indices.  My idea for the OEX puts here could be the wrong one.  Tomorrow will tell a lot about that.  Overbought on the short term technicals though so all hope is not lost yet for that trade.  Gold is not completely overbought here but a pause in the up move is overdue since the crash of a couple of weeks ago.  The gold share technicals are neutral at the moment.  Perhaps the worst is over there for now.  We'll see what tomorrow brings. 

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Second Week of May

  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 ex-dividend date, and the yield.

Box Ships Inc (TEU) 5/7/2013 10.1%

Computers Programs & Systems (CPSI) 5/7/2013 3.9%

Entergy Corp (ETR) 5/7/2013 4.8%

S&T Bancorp (STBA) 5/7/2013 3.3%

Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. (SXL) 5/7/2013 3.6%

American Electric Power (AEP) 5/8/2013 3.9%

American Financial Group Inc. (AFA) 5/8/2013 5.5%

Artesian Resources (ARTNA) 5/8/2013 3.6%

BB&T (BBT) 5/8/2013 3.0%

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

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Updated
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

For Sherlock Holmes Fans: The New British Sherlock TV Series

If you are a Sherlock Holmes fan and you haven't seen the new British TV series called Sherlock, you don't know what you are missing. None of the other recent TV shows or movies hold a candle to this new series. Unfortunately, the show is not currently being shown in the United States, (at least not on any of the channels I've checked out), it is available on DVDs for Americans, both Sherlock: Season One and Sherlock: Season Two. It is even available in Blu-ray.

The series stars two powerful actors, Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes, and Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson. This version is updated to modern times. As an example, Watson doesn't write a journal but instead creates a blog. There is even a contemporary Moriarty. This current take on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories is almost unique in its direction and flow. First you see what is happening, then you see everything from Sherlock's point of view along with a sub-titled type explanation of what he sees.

The story lines try to tie in with the original tales, and they succeed. The scripts are very tightly written; nothing left unexplained, no stones unturned, everything fits perfectly.

One of the nice things about the series is that each episode is long, roughly an hour and a half. Almost a stand-along movie in and of itself. I am anxiously awaiting Episode 3. If there are any Sherlock Holmes fans out there that haven't seen Sherlock, then I highly recommend it.

Starting the week to the upside as the Dow gained 106 points on light volume.  The advance/declines were almost 3 to 1 positive.  The summation index continues higher.  Short term overbought here.  That condition could persist.  I'm still a believer of a top being put in place for the stock indices but as always I could be wrong.  However a light volume rally was what I was looking for.  I purchased some OEX puts today.  Unless we have some kind of high volume breakout in the next day or so, I'll be holding the puts until Friday.  The options are still break even at this point.  GE was little changed on average volume.  No trades there for now.  Gold futures rose $13 today with the US dollar a bit weaker.  The XAU managed a 1 1/2 point gain.  ABX and NEM were up fractionally, while GG was flat on the day.  Volume remains heavy for ABX, light on the other two.  NEM announces earnings today after the bell.  We'll have to wait and see the reaction on that.  My October ABX calls are still in the black.  Mentally I'm feeling OK.  A nice start to the week for the stock indexes to the upside.  There is a lot of economic data and the Fed to deal with this week.  We've got the end of the month tomorrow as well.  So anything could happen.  I've taken my position with the OEX puts.  Gold has had a pretty solid move up from the crash low of 2 weeks ago.  It should be due for a rest.  The gold shares continue to under perform the precious metal itself but at least they have stopped going straight down.  We'll keep an eye on the overseas markets and take it from there.  

New York City Subway Panhandler Party

New York City Subway Panhandler Party:

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the First Week of May

  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 ex-dividend date, and the yield.

CMS Energy (CMS) 5/1/2013 3.5%

Enerplus Corporation (ERF) 5/1/2013 8.0%

First Commonwealth (FCF) 5/1/2013 3.5%

First Niagara Financial (FNFG) 5/1/2013 3.4%

Heidrick & Struggles (HSII) 5/1/2013 4.1%

Meridian Bioscience, Inc. (VIVO) 5/1/2013 3.9%

MOCON Inc. (MOCO) 5/1/2013 3.1%

National Penn Bancshares (NPBC) 5/1/2013 4.1%

First Energy (FE) 5/3/2013 4.7%

Health Care REIT (HCN) 5/3/2013 4.2%

Idacorp (IDA) 5/3/2013 3.2%

Intel Corp (INTC) 5/3/2013 3.9%

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

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Updated
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

Buy Your Mother Some Mother's Day Stocks

Mother's Day is in a couple weeks. Have you shopped for your mother yet? Here's an idea; buy your mother some stocks of companies that benefit from Mother's Day, including those that sell chocolate, flowers, and jewelry, along with greeting cards and gift wrap. Investors looking for stocks that might be participating in the Mother's Day buying frenzy can find some ideas on the chocolate and candy stock list at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Other Mother's Day related companies include 1-800-Flowers.com Inc. (FLWS), which is the the largest publicly traded flower seller, and also sells plants, gourmet foods, cookies, cakes, candies, wine, gift baskets, and other gifts. Did you notice this stock was up over 3% on Friday? The stock has a trailing price to earnings ratio of 28.9 and a forward PE ratio of 20.9. Revenues for the latest quarter were up 5.5%, yet earnings dropped 3.8%. The company will have its next earnings announcement, Tuesday, April 30.

American Greetings Corp. (AM), founded in 1906 and based in Cleveland, Ohio, is the largest publicly-traded greeting card company in the world. The stock has a forward PE of 8, and a yield of 2.5%.

CSS Industries Inc. (CSS) markets gift wrap, gift bags, boxed greeting cards, gift tags, tissue paper, decorations, and decorative ribbons and bows. The stock has a forward PE of 18.7, and a decent yield of 2.2%.

Hershey (HSY), founded in 1894, is the largest manufacturer of chocolate in North America and one of the largest chocolate and candy companies in the world. Did you know that Hershey's Kisses were invented in 1901 and Hershey chocolate chips were introduced in 1928? The stock trades at 21.8 times forward earnings and sports a favorable yield of 1.9%.

Another chocolate company is Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Inc. (RMCF), based in Durango, Colorado, which makes and markets caramels, creams, mints, and truffles. The company, which was founded in 1981, has over 300 franchise locations in 40 states, along with Canada and the United Arab Emirates. The forward price to earnings ratio is 13.7, and the company pays a great CD beating yield of 3.6%.

If you like interesting lists like this, such as the candy stock list, you should check out the various free stock databases, at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

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

By Stockerblog.com

Kentucky Derby Next Week: Horse Race Stocks Anyone?

The Kentucky Derby, the most notable horserace in the United States, will be held this Saturday, May 4, in Louisville, Kentucky. The Kentucky Derby is the initial race of the trio of races of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. It will be followed by the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.

Instead of putting your money on a horse race bet, why not put your money in a horse race investment. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com turned up a list of over ten stocks in the horse racing industry, a couple of which pay dividends.

One example is Churchill Downs (CHDN), the host of the Kentucky Derby. This is the holding company of the Churchill Downs Racetrack that originally opened in 1875. It also owns Arlington Park, the Calder Race Course, the Fair Grounds Race Course, and the Trackside Off-Track-Betting Facilities. The stock trades at 22.3 times trailing earnings, 17.1 times forward earnings, and pays a yield of 1.0%.

The company just reported results on April 24. Record revenue of $148.1 million were generated, up 7% versus the prior-year period, along with record EBITDA of $17.9 million, up 3%. According to Robert L. Evans, Chairman and CEO, "While we set revenue and EBITDA records for the first quarter, our Gaming revenues were below our expectations, primarily due to the higher payroll taxes that became effective January 1, and delays in issuing federal and state income tax refunds. In addition, our Online Business revenues underperformed due to our decision to stop taking TwinSpires.com wagers in Illinois effective January 18, as the bill authorizing such wagering was allowed to expire by the state legislature.
"Looking forward, the pre-event metrics for Kentucky Oaks and Derby Week look strong.
"The Board also approved a stock repurchase plan that authorizes the repurchase of up to $100 million in Churchill Downs Incorporated common stock through the end of 2015. This provides a tax-effective way to return capital to shareholders and to offset some of the dilutive effect of equity used in the Company's compensation plans."
Another player in the racehorse filed is Dover Downs Gaming and Entertainment (DDE), which owns Dover Downs Raceway, a harness racing track with pari-mutuel wagering. The company trades at 28.3 times earnings and pays a munificent yield of 4.3%. Revenues were down 21.2% for the latest reported quarter.

Penn National Gaming Inc. (PENN) owns racetracks and off-track wagering facilities in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ontario. The stock has a trailing price to earnings ratio of 30.2 and a forward PE of 21.2 but does not pay a dividend.

For a free list of horse racing stocks which you can download, sort and update, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Also, if you want a free horse race handicapping program, check out the one at horsetip.com.

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

By Stockerblog.com

It was a mixed market to close out the week.  The Dow was up 11 points on light volume.  The advance/declines were negative.  The NASDAQ and the S&P 500 were lower.  The short term technicals are still more overbought than oversold for the stock indices.  I still believe that we are building a top.  Only a high volume upside breakout would negate that idea.  Hasn't happened yet.  GDP was a bit weaker than expected but wasn't really a market mover.  Plenty of economic data out next week along with a Fed meeting and an ECB meeting.  I'll be looking for a spot to buy some OEX puts before the employment report.  GE was up 1/4 on good volume.  Perhaps the recent decline there is over but it is too early to tell I think.  The 200 day moving average provided support.  Gold fell on the futures today, off 8 bucks despite a weaker US dollar.  The XAU lost 3 2/3.  ABX down 1/2, GG lower by a buck and NEM fell 7/8.  Volume remains overly robust here.  My October ABX calls are still in the black.  I'm still a believer in this trade but don't know how long that I will be holding it.  The daily technicals for the XAU remain weak and the last 3 day candlestick pattern is bearish.  NEM reports earnings on Monday.  Mentally I'm feeling OK.  Are we heading up to new highs on the stock indexes?  Perhaps.  The weekly chart technicals look like they are trying to turn back up.  Overbought here short term though.  We'll have to let the market again tell us what to do.  If we get a light volume rally at the beginning of next week, I'll be inclined to buy the OEX puts.  Any other scenario will likely have me on the sidelines.  Gold has had a very nice comeback after the crash of last Monday.  Some backing and filling here would not be unexpected.  Ditto for the gold shares.  Plenty of charts to focus on over the weekend in preparation of a game plan for next week.  For now it's Friday afternoon and time for a break.

The Dow managed a gain of 24 points today on good volume.  We were about 70 points higher than that on the day but once again faded in the final hour.  That really isn't bullish action.  The advance/declines were about 2 to 1 positive again though.  So breadth says we are going higher.  The summation index continues higher as well.  We'll get the 1st quarter GDP report tomorrow and that should set the tone for the session.  I did not purchase any OEX puts today.  If we begin to drop tomorrow it will probably be too late.  We have yet to take out the recent highs in the S&P 500.  If the market meanders around for the next few days, I'll try the OEX puts before next weeks employment report.  GE opened higher and closed lower but finished the day little changed.  Volume was good.  No trade here for now.  Gold continued its recent run to the upside following last weeks crash.  The precious metal futures rose almost 40 bucks.  The US dollar was a bit weaker in todays trading session.  Gold has made quite a comeback following last weeks negative action.  The XAU did not follow the metal and only rose 1 1/8.  ABX and NEM finished the day little changed after being much higher, while GG gained 3/8.  Volume remains very heavy for this group.  My October ABX calls are in the black but fell back quite a bit from where they traded today.  This will be an interesting trade to manage.  Mentally I'm feeling a bit tired, did not sleep well.  Stocks kind of ran out of gas today and tomorrows session will probably give important clues about what will be happening in the near future.  The stock indexes are now short term overbought.  A move higher tomorrow implies that the recent highs will be challenged.  A move lower could mean the end of the rally or more of the building of a top here.  Gold has had an incredible move higher since the crash last week.  I think that it's more than just a bounce at this point.  But it won't last forever.  The gold shares are still very oversold on the medium term charts.  I'm guessing that there will be more upside to come there going forward.  We'll see what happens tomorrow.   

The New US Hundred Dollar Bill

The new US hundred dollar bill. The Federal Reserve Board announced that the redesigned $100 note will begin circulating on October 8, 2013.

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Fifth Week of April

  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 ex-dividend date, and the yield.

Aegon N.V. (AEK) 4/29 /13 8.1%

Ames National Corp. (ATLO) 4/29 /13 3.0%

Brookfield Asset Management (BAM) 4/29 /13 1.7%

Bank of Montreal (BMO) 4/29 /13 4.7%

Casey's General Stores (CASY) 4/29 /13 1.1%

Carbo Ceramics (CRR) 4/29 /13 1.2%

Epiq Systems (EPIQ) 4/29 /13 2.7%

Hasbro Inc. (HAS) 4/29 /13 3.7%

Lifetime Brands (LCUT) 4/29 /13 1.2%

Affiliated Managers Group Inc. (MGR) 4/29 /13 6.5%

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.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Updated
Don't forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.

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

By Stockerblog.com

The Dow lost ground in the final hour today and finished with a loss of 43 points on average volume.  The advance/declines were almost 2 to 1 positive.  The overall market was stronger than the Dow which is bullish going forward.  The summation index is now heading higher as well.  I am still considering purchasing some OEX puts.  Either tomorrow before the GDP report or sometime next week.  I could be wrong.  I'm expecting weaker than expected GDP numbers on Friday.  But who knows?  Maybe we'll rally on that.  Technically we'll be short term overbought soon if we keep moving higher.  GE had a nice move today, up almost 1/2 on good volume.  The 200 day moving average is holding for now.  Gold went back to the upside by $15 on the futures.  The US dollar was little changed on the day.  The XAU actually showed some signs of life by moving up 6 1/2.  ABX up 1 1/3, GG rose 1 2/3 and NEM climbed 1 7/8.  Volume remains strong here and still extremely heavy for ABX.  ABX reported better than anticipated earnings today and that was the excuse for the upside.  My October ABX calls have moved back to a profit.  Hopefully ABX is sold out here and the technicals say we're still oversold.  However rarely does gold crash as it did and then a new rally immediately emerge.  Mentally I'm feeling a bit tired, did not feel well last night.  The major indices gave up their gains at the end of the day but smaller stocks held up better.  That should be bullish going forward.  I'm still considering the price action to be of the topping variety.  Unless we break out to new highs on good volume, the OEX puts remain on my radar.  Gold itself has acted very well since the crash this past Monday.  Today even the gold shares found some life.  We'll see if this is the beginning of a trend or just another head fake for the gold shares.  They've been laggards for months.  We'll keep an eye on the action in the foreign exchanges and take it from there. 

Stressed Out? Eat Chocolate, Consider Chocolate Stocks

Chocolate can provide many heath benefits including reducing wrinkles, keeping you slim, and reducing the risk of heart failure in women.

Now according to a research study by the Swinburne University, in Melbourne, Australia which will be published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, dark chocolate can calm you down. The study showed that the cocoa polyphenols in chocolate significantly increased the calmness and contentedness relative to placebo of the participants. So now is chocolate the new health food?

Chocolate may provide calmness to your portfolio in addition to your mood. There are over a dozen chocolate and candy stocks listed at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, with half a dozen paying dividends.

One example is Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (RMCF), based in Durango, Colorado, which makes and markets 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 29 times trailing earnings and 14 times forward earnings. The company provides a tasty yield to its shareholders of 3.6%. For the latest reported quarter, total revenues increased 4.3%.

Of course, there are the ever popular Hershey Bars. Hershey (HSY) is the famous chocolate company, 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 released in 1928. The stock has trailing price to earnings ratio of 32, and a forward PE of 23. The yield is a decent 1.9%. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 5.4% on a 11.7% boost in revenues.

Another large chocolate producer is Nestle (NSRGY), which sports a trailing PE of 20 and a forward P/E of 17. This Swiss chocolate manufacturer was founded in 1867. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 14.8% on a 12.8% rise in revenues.

If you want to see a free list of 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 roared to the upside today as the Dow gained 152 points on average volume.  This was despite a mini flash crash halfway through the session.  The advance/declines were 4 to 1 positive which should move the summation index back to the upside.  I did not expect this type of strong move here.  Perhaps my negative thesis on the stock indices is wrong.  I'm sticking with it for now.  We'll see how the market reacts if we get to the previous highs.  We are definitely within striking distance.  The short term technicals for the stock indices are turning back up.  GE was up 1/8 and the volume continues very heavy.  There is a huge downside gap on the daily chart here and it looks anything but positive.  We're hovering at the 200 day moving average.  Gold was off $7 on the futures and more in the aftermarket as the US dollar had a strong day.  The XAU fell 2 points.  ABX off 3/8, GG dropped 3/4 and NEM lost a buck.  Volume remains heavier than normal here.  Earnings out tomorrow morning for ABX.  My October ABX calls have moved into the red.  Anything is possible tomorrow and this issue remains deeply oversold on all the technicals.  Mentally I'm feeling OK.  The stock indexes had a mini crash today that lasted about a couple of minutes.  This is the trading environment we now live in.  It is a computer driven game.  That is the reality and there is no getting around it.  The positive performance of the stock indices today was impressive.  However until all the indices break out to new highs I would advise caution about getting too bullish now.  Gold had a nice bounce after the crash but it is probably due to retest the recent lows.  What occurs there will be the key for the direction of the precious metal.  The reaction to the ABX earnings will be my main focus for tomorrow.   

We begin the week to the upside as the Dow gained 19 points on light volume.  The advance/declines were positive.  We'll see how the week plays out but I do not expect any huge rallies.  Sideways to lower is my scenario going forward for the stock indices.  1st quarter GDP is the big economic report of the week on Friday.  GE was off 3/8 and the volume was very heavy.  This is a canary in the coal mine.  GE is a huge multi-national company.  It portends a global slowdown with its recent price action.  Gold gained $25 on the futures as the US dollar was off a touch.  Gold has made quite a comeback after last Mondays meltdown.  The XAU has hardly come back though.  It gained about a point and a half today.  ABX off 1/8, GG up 2/3 and NEM rose 3/8.  Volume was average with the exception of ABX which remains very heavy.  Even a weekend article in Barron's couldn't get the gold shares really moving to the upside.  The October ABX calls I own are barely in the black.  Earnings are due for Barrick on Wednesday.  That should get things moving good one way or the other.  Mentally I'm feeling OK.  It is a wait and see attitude with respect to the stock indexes for now.  I'm looking at some OEX puts at some point in the May option cycle.  I'm still a believer that we are in a topping process.  Gold has made a nice bounce back from last weeks carnage but the gold shares haven't followed.  Gold itself should head back down to retest the lows of last week.  Just waiting for the ABX earnings at this point.  We'll keep an eye on the overseas action tonight and go from there.

Upcoming IPOs

The following are companies with planned Initial Public Offerings:

5/3/2013 BIOAMBER INC.
5/2/2013 ING U.S., INC.
4/24/2013 ADMA BIOLOGICS, INC.
Planned EPIZYME, INC.
Planned VOTORANTIM CIMENTOS S.A.
Planned LIGHTINTHEBOX HOLDING CO., LTD.
Planned KOPJAGGERS INC.
Planned ROMANTIQUE LTD.

Will Airline Stocks Fly High?

Have you benn on a plane flight recently? I've been on several plane flights over the last year and one thing I have noticed is that the plane is always full. Always! Not one extra seat available. And this is on a few different airlines, Delta (DAL), KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLMR), and JetBlue (JBLU). I remember years ago, taking flights on PSA with only eight people on the plane. There were almost as many airline staff workers (pilots and flight attendants) as there were passengers.

Now airlines have their act together, and are able to fill every seat. Any empty seat is less revenue, and if they can fill those seats, even at very discounted prices, it's additional revenue. When you consider all the flights of an airline in a day, and multiply those flights times 365 days, the revenue can add up.

With the merger of the American Airlines holding company, AMR (AAMRQ) and US Airways (LCC), it will mean less competition. And of course with crude oil dropping in price to $88 per barrel from over $105 a barrel a year ago, fuel costs for the airlines have been kept in check.

So what's an investor to do who is looking for a high flyer? According to the free list of airline stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are over 25 airlines to choose from, with a half dozen paying dividends.

Let's take a look at Alaska Air Group (ALK), which provides flights to the western United States, Canada, and Mexico. The stock trades at 13.7 times trailing earnings and 9.5 times forward earnings. Revenues for the latest quarter at year end were up 8.4%, however earnings dropped 31.3%. The company's next earnings announcement is scheduled for April 25. The company carries over a billion dollars in debt, but it does have $1.25 billion in cash.

The Latin American airline company, Copa Holdings SA (CPA), is doing well. Based out of Panama City, Panama, it flies to 64 destinations in 29 countries in North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The stock has a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of 16.4 and a forward PE of 10.9. Revenues were up by a strong 19.4%, but earnings dropped for the latest quarter by 17%. Next announcement is May 6. This is one of the few companies that pays a dividend with a Certificate of Deposit beating yield of 1.9%.

Southwest Airlines (LUV) is another dividend payer, with a small yield of 0.3%. The stock trades at 23.8 times current earnings and 11.1 times forward earnings. Next earnings announcement is April 25.

To see a complete list of all the major and regional airline stocks, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author owns JBLU.

By Stockerblog.com

New Stock Dividend Increasers for the Month of April

The following stocks have recently increased their dividends. This is the sign of a good company and could be the sign of an improving economy.

NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG) announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend on the Company's common stock of 12 cents per share, an increase of 33%

Procter & Gamble (PG), raised quarterly dividends by 7% to 60.15 cents per share

American Express (AXP) raised its dividend 15% to 23 cents per share

Kinder Morgan, Inc. (KMI) raised its quarterly dividend by an amazing 18.75% to 38 cents per share

A.O. Smith (AOS) raised its quarterly dividend 20% to 24 cents per share

Whirlpool (WHR) raised its quarterly dividend 25% to 62.5 cents per share

AON (AON) boosted its quarterly dividend 11% to 17.5 cents per share

If you like interesting lists like this, check out the many stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, most of which are free.

Unbelievable Wingsuit Cave Flight!

This has nothing to do with stocks or investments, but I thought you would enjoy this video about wingsuit flying.

Expiration Friday is behind us as the Dow gained 10 points on average volume.  The advance/declines were almost 3 to 1 positive.  The Dow was affected by the poor showings of IBM and GE on earnings reports.  The overall market was much stronger than the Dow.  However it also could have been expiration related.  So we will have to see how things shake out next week.  The S&P 500 is trying to hold on at its 50 day moving average.  I'm still a believer that the rally that began in November is over.  We're building or have built a top.  I'll be looking for places to buy puts, most likely with the OEX.  GE had a gap to the downside and fell 7/8 on very heavy volume.  If GE is a bellwether for the overall market it would be bearish.  The technicals on the weekly chart here have now rolled over.  Some good support at the $20 level for GE.  Gold was up $3 on the futures and a bit more in the aftermarket.  The US dollar gained a bit today.  The XAU rose 1 1/8.  ABX, GG and NEM had slight fractional moves to the upside on heavy volume.  The volume for ABX remains very heavy.  Earnings for ABX due next week.  The October ABX calls I have are still in the black.  There was extreme volume for these options yesterday and the open interest expanded vastly.  Mentally I'm feeling a bit tired, did not sleep well.  The weekly chart technicals for most of the stock indices have rolled over.  The weekly Dow candlestick chart shows a bearish belt hold pattern.  That doesn't meant that we can't move higher from here but it does mean the odds favor more downside going forward.  But that could all change next week.  We're moving on to the May option cycle.  The weekly gold and gold share charts show extreme carnage.  That doesn't mean that we can't go lower though.  I still think that going out to October on the ABX calls will be a winning trade.  However I've been wrong on most of the ABX call trades for a year or so.  I'll be going over the charts again this weekend.  Not a lot of economic data out next week but we'll get the 1st quarter GDP on Friday.  We'll also have the backdrop of the recent attack in Boston.  For now it's Friday afternoon and time for a rest.

Heading lower as the Dow fell 81 points on average volume.  The advance/declines were negative.  Up trend lines have been broken on some of the major stock indices.  I'm sticking with a sideways or down scenario for the stock indexes going forward.  The S&P 500 has yet to break its up trend line from November but that should come in time.  Same for the Dow.  I'll be looking at OEX puts on rallies for now.  GE was off a touch on average volume.  Heading lower here and we get the earnings out tomorrow.  Gold was up $10 on the futures as the US dollar was off slightly.  The XAU gained 2 7/8 for a change.  ABX, GG and NEM all had fractional gains to the upside on good volume.  The volume for ABX remains extreme.  The October ABX calls I bought yesterday are in the black.  Waiting for the snap back with the gold shares on this trade.  Extremely oversold here.  Mentally I'm feeling OK.  Plenty of earnings still to come and the background environment remains uncertain in the US with the recent bombing.  The reasons for buying stocks here do not outweigh the risks going forward at this time.  That is my guess at the moment.  Gold itself is trying to hold in here but I think lower prices are still in the near future.  We'll get through the option expiration tomorrow and take it from there.      

Back to the downside today as the Dow fell 138 points on good volume.  The advance/declines were about 4 to 1 negative.  Volatility here and that usually means a change in the underlying direction.  I would guess now that a top is being put in or is already in for the stock indices.  The summation index is back to heading lower.  Seasonality dictates that the rally from November is coming to an end.  We could be in a sideways environment for a while but the uptrend stops here in my opinion.  I try to listen to the indexes.  We'll let the market tell us what to expect.  My interpretations are sometimes wrong though.  GE was off 1/3 and the volume was good.  More volume to the downside here which mirrors the overall market.  Earnings on Friday, should be a mover.  Gold lost about $5 on the futures today but then fell more in the aftermarket.  The US dollar was very strong today.  The XAU continues to get crushed, off 5 2/3.  ABX fell 1 1/4, GG off 1/2 and NEM dropped 1 3/8.  Volume was heavy and once again extremely heavy in ABX.  My order was filled for the October ABX calls.  I am expecting a decent snap back rally in the gold shares eventually.  The question is from exactly what levels?  We are still in a free fall for the gold shares.  Gold itself is trying to put the brakes on here but I believe that the precious metal will be headed lower going forward as well.  Then why make the trade?  If you take a look at the huge drops in ABX from the past, there is always a big bounce from the very oversold levels.  We are about as oversold as you can get there.  There are no guarantees in the game but I think the odds are with this particular trade to be successful.  Mentally I'm feeling OK.  Plenty for the stock indexes to digest here with earnings and the recent events.  I'm sticking with my thesis that the rally is done for now.  A look at the daily charts shows a rollover for some and the potential of rollovers for others.  It is a time to be cautious regrading the stock market at this time.  Gold has broken down with the rest of the commodity markets.  It probably has further to go on the downside.  I do expect a relief rally at some point.  The ultimate downside for gold in my opinion is $1200 at the long term up trend line.  We'll keep an eye on the overseas action tonight and head on to Thursday. 

What Google Searchers Think About Gold

Here is what searchers are looking for most often on Google (GOOG) relating to gold:

Is the Stock Market Making You Depressed? Try Some Antidepressant Stocks

Actually, depression in this country is a very serious problem. In the United States, approximately 14 million adults per year are affected by depression; some sufferers try to work through it on their own and others turn to antidepressant drugs. According to the World Health Organization, depression causes the suffering of an estimated 121 million people throughout the world and is expected to become the second leading cause of disability worldwide by the year 2020. With these numbers, the demand for antidepressants is expected to grow significantly.

Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY), the world's largest maker and marketer of psychiatric medications, was the company that originally came out with Prozac, now off-patent. It now has the top selling drug, Cymbalta for treating depression. It is one of the most financially successful drug in history. Lilly has a price to earnings ratio of 16, provides a very generous yield of 3.4%.

Forest Laboratories Inc. (FRX) has the drug Lexapro, also known as Cipralex which is an antidepressant used to treat depression and anxiety disorders. The stock a very high PE of 83, and does not pay a dividend.

AstraZeneca plc (AZN) is a British-Sedish multinational company which makes Seroquel, an antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia, now off-patent. The company also markets Vivalan. The stock trades at ten times earnings, and pays a very high yield of 7.4%.

Glaxosmithkline plc (GSK) produces Wellbutrin, used for the treatment of depression and seasonal affective disorder. It also has Paxil, also known as Seroxat, for depression. The stock has a PE of 17, and sports a high yield of 5.7%.

For a free list of major pharmaceutical companies, most of which pay dividends, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

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

The Dow made a nice comeback today, up 157 points on average volume.  The advance/declines were about 5 to 1 positive.  Still plenty of buyers on the dip.  We'll see how long this snap back lasts or perhaps it is the start of another leg up.  Some indices moved to new highs recently but the smaller stocks did not.  That usually isn't a positive going forward.  We are also heading into a seasonal period of under performance for stocks.  So we'll see what happens.  I still think it is a time to be cautious given the recent events.  The threat of terrorism combined with a collapse in commodities cannot be considered bullish in my opinion.  GE was up 1/4 on average volume.  Earnings due on Friday.  No trades there for now.  Gold had a modest bounce, up $26 on the futures.  This despite being very oversold and the US dollar was much weaker today.  The precious metal began to drop again in the aftermarket.  The XAU dropped 3/4.  ABX off a buck, GG was flat and NEM was off 1/8.  Volume remains very heavy for the gold shares.  ABX continues to get hammered.  I do have an open order here for some October ABX calls.  This could simply be another mistake among the many that I have had in the past year trading the calls on this stock.  However the collapse here is overblown in my mind and I believe that there will be a substantial bounce in the gold shares before October.  Mentally I'm feeling OK.  Expiration week is upon us and volatility is on the rise.  The economic data is coming in mixed.  So we'll see.  If the market can recover here and move on to new highs, that would be very bullish.  I do not think that is the upcoming scenario.  But what do I know?  Gold is in a free fall.  I peg support at $1200 after viewing the longer term charts.  Support for silver is at 20 bucks.  If those levels doesn't hold then the bull market in precious metals is done in my humble opinion.  We'll see what tomorrow brings.      

What Google Searchers think about the Stock Market

Here are the common searches in Google (GOOG) relating to "the stock market is"

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Fourth Week of April

  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 ex-dividend date, and the yield.

ADT Corp (ADT) 4/22/13 1.0%

Clorox Co. (CLX) 4/22/13 3.0%

Lowe's (LOW) 4/22/13 1.7%

Tyco International (TYC) 4/24 /13 2.1%

Williams Sonoma (WSM) 4/24 /13 2.5%

Texas Instruments (TXN) 4/26 /13 3.3%

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.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Updated
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

Does the Stock Market Drive People to Drink? How about Liquor Stocks?

Some investors believe that the stock market will drive them to drink. If you look at the graph, you will see a comparison of the wholesale alcoholic beverage industry employment (in thousands) versus the Dow Jones Industrial Average over the last twelve months. As you can see, it didn't matter whether the stock market was going up or down, the liquor employment kept steadily increasing or at least remained steady.

Did you know that research shows that over 66% of Americans drink alcoholic beverages during the evening in order to relax? They may need some relaxing after today's stock market drop. According to the recently updated list of wine and liquor stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are over a dozen to choose from, some of which pay dividends.

Beam, Inc. (BEAM) is an Illinois based company that produces bourbon whiskey, Scotch whisky, Canadian whisky, and other beverages under the brands of Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Sauza, Courvoisier, Canadian Club, Teacher’s, and Laphroaig. The stock trades at 26 times trailing earnings, and pays a yield of 1.4%. Earnings for the latest quarter were up an amazing 42.7% on a revenue rise of 11.2%.

Brown-Forman Corporation (BF-B) is another liquor distributor which is famous for its Jack Daniel's and Southern Comfort brands. The stock has a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.1 and pays a yield of 1.6%.

Diageo (DEO) is a London based alcoholic beverage distributor that markets numerous brands of whiskey, including Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky, Crown Royal Canadian whisky, JeB Scotch whisky, Buchanan's Scotch whisky, Windsor Premier Scotch whisky, and Bushmills Irish whiskey. It also sells vodka, rum, and wine. The stock trades at 18.9 times trailing earnings. It sports a higher-than-industry-average yield of 1.8%.

For a free list of wine and liquor stocks, which you can download, sort, and update, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

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

By Stockerblog.com

Data courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Today we saw why this game we play is so unpredictable.  We are seeing a worldwide liquidation of assets.  I certainly do not know why.  The Dow fell 265 points on heavy volume.  The advance/declines were 8 to 1 negative.  Bad numbers out of China, a commodity collapse and a couple of explosions at the Boston Marathon.  Technical damage has been done to some of the stock index daily charts.  The summation index should be turned around to the downside today.  There will be follow through selling most likely tomorrow.  I thought we would simply drift up into the expiration this week but all that has changed.  It has turned into a time to be cautious when it comes to stocks.  GE fell 2/3 on good volume.  We've broken through the 50 day moving average to the downside.  Earnings out later this week for GE.  Gold is in crash mode.  The precious metal futures lost $140.  There was a huge percentage decline in silver as well.  The US dollar was up just a bit.  Gold is crashing as margin calls help expand the liquidation.  We broke the $1550 level and the sellers have taken over.  The XAU lost over 11 points.  ABX down 2 7/8, GG fell 2 points and NEM shed 2 1/2.  Volume remains off the charts to the downside.  I'm looking at some longer term calls for ABX now because there will eventually be a violent snap back to the upside.  From what level is the question.  I'm looking at the October and January 2014 calls.  Mentally I'm feeling OK.  We will have to see what the fall out is from todays events.  The bombing in Boston is still breaking news at this point.  There should be more selling tomorrow in stocks.  I'd also expect more liquidation in the commodities as well.  Like I said before I do not know what is the cause of the liquidation but we can always be sure that the market knows more than us.  It looks like support for silver comes in at around $20.  For gold at around $1250 if it cannot hold in here.  We'll have to see what happens in the foreign markets overnight.  It is probably a time to be careful.  Interesting times.    

Need to File an Extension? Here's Where You Get the Form

Here is the link to the IRS Form 4868 Extension Form:

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4868.pdf

What Black Swan's Nassim Taleb Hates: Antifragile Review Part 2

When I did my book review last month on Antifragile, by Nassim Taleb, I did the book a disservice since I had read only partway through it. I have just completed the book, and I can say that (with the possible exception of Finnegans Wake), this is the most unusual book I have ever read.

For those of you who don't know, Taleb was the one who predicted the financial collapse a few years ago, and has the money to prove it. He was the author who caused the phrase The Black Swan to become popular due to his book of the same name.

After making his fortune, he has now become more of a philosopher and researcher. As a matter of fact, Antifragile is more about philosophy from a practical standpoint.

First let me tell you what Taleb detests:
economists (he even names names)
doctors
pharmaceutical companies
politicians
large corporations (with the exception of Apple)
executives of large corporations (with the exception of Steve Jobs)
Harvard professors
Coke and Pepsi (both the drinks and the corporations)
marketing and marketers
bankers!
the cavier left
rating agencies
postdictors
non-risk takers
over-technologizing
excessive use of specific products
government research spending
lobbyists
and the list goes on and on...

And he doesn't just say he dislikes these things (or people); he spends whole sections on them. But this is only a small portion of the book. In essence, the book is about how anything or anyone that benefits from stress or change, will survive, and if not, then it or they won't survive.

Here is a tip about reading the book. It you come to the sections that say that you can skip them because they go into a lot of technical detail, you should read them because those sections are actually easier to read than other parts of the book and they contain very important concepts. (I wonder if Taleb did this as a trick?)

If you want to read a book that isn't anything like any other book, I recommend Antifragile.

After being down almost 75 points during the session, the Dow came all the way back to finish the day basically unchanged.  The advance/declines were negative and the volume remains light.  Money continues to flow into stocks as the buy the dip mentality persists.  You can't argue with success.  There is no resistance to the upside.  I still think the stock indices will remain firm into the expiration next week.  After that, who knows?  GE was off 1/8 on very light volume.  No trades here for now.  Gold got absolutely crushed today as it took out the all important $1550 level.  The precious metal futures were off over $60 and more in the aftermarket.  The US dollar was little changed on the trading day.  The XAU fell 6 points.  ABX fell another 2 buck, GG slid 1 1/2 and NEM shed 2 1/4.  Volume was huge once again.  The market blew through my stop loss order on the ABX May calls, so I dumped them at the market.  It turned out to be a 70% loss after all.  I have been buying calls on ABX all the way down for the past year and have lost practically every time.  This week I got sliced and diced on the catching falling knife attempt.  Mentally I'm feeling as if whatever I'm trying to trade so far this year just isn't working out.  With the exception of a couple of GE trades early, whatever I'm trading has been a loser.  Commodities are dropping along with the precious metals.  Either there is too much supply or the overall world economy is weaker than we are giving it credit for.  The stock indices seem to be saying that there is too much supply.  Money continues to find a home in stocks.  The only caveat is that the volume has been light on this upside breakout.  We'll see if the rally continues but there is nothing to stop it at the moment.  Gold has now broken the support that it needed to hold.  The trend is down.  Perhaps the gold shares were foreshadowing this breakdown in gold.  Obviously I was stuck on the long side here for the gold shares when the trend was down.  That was a huge mistake.  I still believe that ABX under $25 is a longer term winner.  I will be looking at the volume and open interest on the October and January calls here to see if there was any accumulation today.  I will also have to see where the ultimate long term support is for gold itself on a monthly and yearly chart.  I'll need to find the up trend line from the 2000 lows to see where the support lies.  I don't think that it has been broken yet.  So there will be plenty of work to do over the weekend.  For now it's Friday afternoon and time for a break. 

Stock Dividend Increasers for April

The following stocks have recently increased their dividends. This is the sign of a good company and could be the sign of an improving economy.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (BK) will increase its quarterly dividend by 15 percent

Stage Stores, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors approved an increase in the Company's quarterly dividend rate by 25%

IDEX (IEX) announced that its Board of Directors has approved a fifteen percent increase in it's regular quarterly cash dividend

Weyerhaeuser (WY) announced an 18 percent increase in the company's regular quarterly cash dividend

H.B. Fuller Company (FUL) increased it's regular quarterly dividend from $0.085 per share of common stock to $0.10 per share

Burger King (BKW) raised its dividend by 20%

Fastenal Company (FAST) announced its quarterly dividend of 20 cents per share, an increase of about doubled its dividend

Tanger Factory Outlet Centers (SKT), announced a 7.1% increase in the annual dividend

If you like interesting lists like this, check out the many stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, most of which are free.

Continuing higher as the Dow gained 63 points on light volume.  The advance/declines were positive.  The overall market was slightly weaker than the Dow.  We have broken out to the upside here but the volume has been lackluster.  As a rule, light volume rallies are not to be trusted.  That said, I still think we'll run things up into the expiration next week.  The trend remains up.  GE was flat on the day and the volume was light.  No trade ideas here for now.  Gold was up 6 bucks on the futures but fell back in the aftermarket.  The US dollar was weaker again today.  The XAU fell almost 2 points.  ABX was up 1/4, while GG and NEM lost 1/3.  Volume was huge again for ABX, light for the others.  I mistakenly thought that my stop loss order for the May ABX calls was filled late yesterday.  Checking back after posting the blog showed that the order wasn't filled.  Once again the premium got to my price and nothing happened.  So I still own the May ABX calls.  I'm sure the stop loss order will be filled in the next day or so, barring a rally in ABX.  More on ABX later.  Mentally I'm feeling OK.  The stock indices continue higher with no overhead resistance.  Not short term overbought yet but another couple of up days will do that.  Money continues to flow into the US stock market.  Gold is trying to hold the $1550 level and the jury is still out on that.  ABX is now blown out to the downside.  The news at this point can't get any worse.  The saying goes, buy bad news.  ABX is not going to go out of business.  The mining operations will get back online once again.  Anything under $25 for this issue is a longer term buy.  I even placed an open order for the June calls last night in case ABX dropped further, which it didn't.  Purchasing ABX now will pay you a dividend of 3% while you wait.  I could be wrong and have been a lot lately but this looks like an opportunity to me.  We'll see how the markets close out the week tomorrow.

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The market has spoken as we broke out to the upside today.  The Dow gained 128 points on average volume.  The advance/declines were 3 to 1 positive.  This should move the summation index back to the upside.  The S&P 500 broke above the resistance at 1570 to close at 1587.  The market had every opportunity to decline in the past couple of weeks but did not.  Now we have broken out to all time highs and there is no resistance going forward.  We'll see how high this rally can go.  I'd expect it to last into the April expiration which ends on Friday of next week.  GE was up 1/2 on average volume.  The 50 day moving average acted as support and we are rallying from there.  GE should take out the old recent higha at around $23.75.  The gold futures fell over $25 on the Fed minutes.  The US dollar was up a bit as well.  The XAU was back to the downside by 4 3/8.  GG was off 7/8 and NEM lost a buck both on good volume.  But the story of the day was the carnage in ABX.  It collapsed 2 1/4 on extremely heavy blow out volume.  Apparently a court in Chile has stopped production on one of the mining projects that ABX has in that country.  The mine is co-owned with GG but that stock did not go down like ABX.  I do not know why.  Last night I adjusted down my order for the May ABX calls and that was filled right away this morning.  I placed a stop loss order for this trade and it was hit later in the day.  That's something that I really haven't seen in a while.  The loss was around 55%.  Not a lot of money in this trade but it shows the risk in trading individual issues vs. the indexes.  Of course that works both ways as there could have been some good news out of ABX and it would have out performed.  I guess now we know why ABX has been such a laggard with respect to the other gold shares lately.  This dramatic downside action should get all the rest of the sellers out but there could be an extended period of consolidation before it start to move higher again.  Mentally I'm feeling OK.  The stock indices have begun the next climb.  The Dow transports haven't yet confirmed the move but they should in the coming days.  Probably too late to get some OEX calls.  I guess it's the sidelines for now.  The sharp contraction of the Bollinger bands forewarned of a huge move coming.  Take note of that for the next time.  Perhaps buying both the puts and calls would work out for an overall profit.  Another losing trade in the ABX calls.  Knowing the underlying situation now certainly doesn't help.  Perhaps I should have just listened to the technicals as this was the weakest issue for the mining shares.  Of course hindsight is always correct.  I don't know where I'll go from here with the gold shares.  It's time to regroup.  The earnings for these companies will be out later this month.  They remain oversold.  We'll see if the foreign markets follow the Dow higher tomorrow.   

We are now back to the top of the trading range in the S&P 500.  The Dow gained 60 points on light volume.  The advance/declines were positive.  The S&P 500 made it above the 1570 level and then fell back.  I suppose we are at some kind of moment of truth for the stock indices.  This could be the light volume levitation that allows us to get some OEX puts here.  Or it could be the start of another upside momentum move if we blow through the 1570 level.  The Russell 2000 and the Dow transports were both negative today which supports the bearish alternative.  The summation index is still heading down as well.  I personally do not have the same downside conviction that I had last week.  I think it could go either way here now.  GE was off 1/8 after being higher early.  Hugging the 50 day moving average here.  No trades in mind for now with respect to GE.  Gold continued higher as the US dollar fell today.  The precious metal futures rose $14.  The XAU finally showed some life by gaining 5 points on the day.  ABX up 1/3, GG and NEM rose a buck.  Volume was good.  ABX is the laggard here and has been for quite some time.  Perhaps I should try the calls with another gold share issue.  I still have the open order in for the May calls there.  I'll ponder this tonight.  Mentally I'm feeling OK.  We've got the Fed minutes out tomorrow and they could be a market mover.  Not exactly sure what to expect.  Perhaps today was the time to purchase the OEX puts and perhaps not.  When in doubt stay out goes the saying.  I'll consider what to do about this possible trade tonight.  Gold is having a good week so far.  The gold shares finally showed some upside today as well.  That doesn't mean that it's the start of something substantial but it could be.  I'll consider keeping the open order for the ABX May calls or perhaps adjusting the buy price.  Or maybe canceling the trade altogether.  We'll see what happens overseas and go from there.      

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Third Week of April

  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 ex-dividend date, and the yield.

Bowl America Inc. Cl. A (BWL-A) 4/15/13 5.0%

CommonWealth (CWHO) 4/15/13 5.9%

West Pharma Services (WST) 4/15/13 1.2%

Zep Inc. (ZEP) 4/15/13 1.0%

Horizon Technology Finance Corp. (HRZN) 4/16/13 10.9%

Cracker Barrel (CBRL) 4/17/13 2.5%

Comtech Telecommunications (CMTL) 4/17/13 4.5%

Foot Locker (FL) 4/17/13 2.4%

Friedman Industries (FRD) 4/17/13 5.0%

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

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Updated
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

Back to the upside again today as the Dow gained 48 points on light volume.  The advance/declines were 2 to 1 positive.  This could be the light volume move back to around the 1570 level on the S&P 500 that will be an opportunity to get some April OEX puts.  Or it could be the beginning of something else.  The overall market was stronger than the Dow today.  We've been moving sideways in the S&P 500 since the beginning of March.  The top of the range is 1570 and the bottom is 1540.  We're at 1563.  I think we will have to let the market tell us what to do at this point.  I was certain that we were on the cusp of some type of decline but now I am not so sure.  GE was up 1/8 or so and the volume was light.  No trades here for now.  Gold fell $3 on the futures after being higher earlier.  The US dollar was up a bit today.  The XAU fell about 1 1/2.  ABX, GG and NEM were all off 1/3 on average volume.  My open order for the ABX May calls is still out there.  It was touched today but wasn't filled.  In my experience if the premium goes down to your price and it doesn't get filled, it's usually a sign that the trade is going to work.  Market makers are not in business to lose money.  Mentally I'm feeling OK.  The stock indices are acting as though they want to move higher here.  If the volume stays light, I may try the April OEX puts.  Not a lot of economic data out this week but earnings season begins.  9 days to go in the April option cycle.  I'll check the charts again tonight and go from there.   

One Letter Domain Names and the Companies that Own Them

There are not many one-letter domain names that are owned by companies, and most of the companies are publicly traded stocks.

These companies were lucky enough to register them before December 1, 1993 (or buy them from someone who registered them by that date), as the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority put a restriction on single character domains at that time.

o.co and o.info are both owned by Overstock.com (OSTK).

q.com is owned by CenturyLink (CTL). If you go to q.com, it takes you right to CenturyLink's web site.

x.com is owned by x.commerce, which is owned by eBay (EBAY). When you go to the x.com website, it takes you to the x.commerce website.

z.com is owned by Nissan North America Inc., which is owned by Nissan Motor (NSANY), which trades on NASDAQ. However, the website is currently inactive.

i.net is owned by Future Media Architects, a privately held company. The company also owns c.tv, h.tv, k.tv and n.tv along with several other dot tv domain names.

u.tv is owned by UTV Media (UTV.L), a broadcasting and New Media company based in Belfast in Northern Ireland. The company trades on the London Stock Exchange.

High Yield H2O Stocks

How many uses of water are there? Let me count the ways.
drinking
agricultural irrigation
washing
as a solvent
as a reactant
as a coolant
for heating
a neutron moderator
fire extinguishing fluid
food processing
cooking
etc., etc., etc.

Many investors have taken a flight to income stocks, blue chips, electric utilities, and natural gas utilities. But many forget the publicly traded monopolies of water utilities, which can provide income and growth potential. The majority of cities are served by government water districts; yet residents of some communities buy water through corporations that own the rights to water and are publicly traded. People don't stop drinking and using water, so there is little chance of these companies going out of business.

There are many dividend paying water companies that investors have available to them according to the free list of high yield water utility stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

One example is Aqua America (WTR), which distributes water to customers in Pennsylvania, Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Florida, Indiana, Virginia, Maine, and Georgia. The stock has a trailing price to earnings ratio of 22, a forward price to earnings ratio of 21, and yields 2.2%. The company has raised its dividends every year since 1988 and has had many stock splits during that time. Earnings for the latest quarter were up an incredible 95.7% on an 12.4% increase in revenues.

American States Water (AWR), founded in 1929, which is a distributor of water in 75 communities in California. It trades at 20 times forward earnings and pays a reasonable yield of 2.5%. During the summer, the company's dividends is up by 5% over last year. Earnings for the latest quarter were up outstanding, by 53.4%, with revenues rising 17%.

Connecticut Water Service (CTWS) trades at 18 times forward earnings and yields 3.1%. The company, which was founded in 1956, serves customers in 55 towns in Connecticut. The company raised its dividend by 2% last August.

For a free list of high yield water utility stocks, which can be downloaded, sorted, and added to, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

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

Top Warren Buffett Books for Spring Reading

How about some reading for the Spring season? Warren Buffett, the billionaire head of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B), is a top investor, trader, and author. Here are some selections of 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, Third Edition Warren E. Buffett (Author) Lawrence A. Cunningham (Author, Editor)

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

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

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