Filed under: Major Movement , Competitive Strategy , Barrick Gold (ABX) , Commodities , Federal Reserve Back in the late 1970s, the Hunt brothers from Texas tried to corner the silver market . That drove prices to $48 an ounce. Now, 31 years later, silver is shooting higher again. The March silver futures contract closed at $32.296 per ounce , up 72 cents. Since gold is expensive, investors are turning to silver to hedge against inflation. Many fear that the Federal Reserve will not be able to control the spike in commodity prices. The Fed is buying $600 billion of treasuries and keeping interest rates near zero. Continue reading Silver Near a 31-Year High Silver Near a 31-Year High originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 19 Feb 2011 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | Email this | Comments
Gold Bullion prices
When gold is not safe !!
SHARE prices of gold mining companies across the globe took a dive Monday after prices for the precious metal plummeted for a second straight day. The plunge of gold prices news has been resounding around the world in recent weeks Exchange-traded funds were dumping their gold holdings amid a more pessimistic outlook for gold, which […]
National Bank of Greece (NBG) Bid Rejected by Alpha Bank
The $3.8 billion unsolicited from National Bank of Greece SA (NYSE:NBG) for Alpha Bank SA, was rejected as an inadequate offer by Alpha’s board.National Bank of Greece SA is the largest in the country and Alpha Bank is the third-largest bank in Greece.When making the offer for Alpha on January 18, National Bank asked for Alpha to give the bid “serious consideration.” National Bank said the new
Market Wrap-Up for Feb.17 (WTW, DPS, CLF, WMB, KO, LO, SJM, more)
It was an overall steady day for the markets, along with a decent number of dividend payouts coming over the wires. Earnings boosted several dividend names, but the biggest winner of the day was Weight Watchers ( WTW ) after the company just stunned analysts with the size of its 2011 earnings estimates. Shares of WTW rallied over $20 this morning on that news. Other earnings plays that had a good day included recently-recommended name Dr. Pepper Snapple Group ( DPS ). Cliffs Natural Resources ( CLF ) and J.M. Smucker Company ( SJM ) traded in the green as well following earnings results. Williams Co. ( WMB ) was up on news the company will be splitting in two. The company also announced a dividend boost. Late in the morning, beverage giant Coca-Cola ( KO ) announced a 7% increase in its dividend payout. Tobacco play Lorillard ( LO ) announced a 16% increase in its dividend payout to lift shares almost 2%. We had removed shares of Lorillard from our recommended list recently on concerns we have surrounding the coming FDA judgement/opinion on use of menthol in cigarettes, which accounts for the majority of Lorillard’s sales. I have to admit, I am a big fan of American Idol. My kids and I really enjoy the whole “dreams can come true” mindset for the contestants. Last night was another episode of “cut-downs” as singers needed to perform as part of groups. It’s always interesting to see the type of friction this can cause as egos are clashing everywhere you turn. What amazes me is that often times the individual performers that we thought were amazing on their own, begin to crumble when taken into a different situation. They lose sight of what needs to be done to get through to the next rounds. You see some completely unravel and throw the opportunity they had once cherished right down the drain. This phenomenon isn’t unlike the investing world in that many individuals know what needs to get done to build wealth, but for some reason or another, can not seize the moment. Whether it is just putting some extra coin to the side every month, spending some money to find quality research and investment ideas, or swallowing their pride when an investment idea doesn’t pan out, investors consistently make big mistakes. I know the market continues to move higher and some people may be waiting for a pullback. There is nothing wrong with doing so, but don’t skip your monthly investments you can be making because of that. There are plenty of good yield plays that you can still find to put money to work in, even after the nice run the market has had. Taking financial responsibility and knowing what you can afford to do is the key. I talk about investing in quality dividend-paying stocks as a great way to build up your future income, but if you are spending like there’s no tomorrow as well, then that is a risk that could eventually negate all the good you might be doing on the investment side. Saving is a mantra that needs to also be adopted…
Semiconductor’s Brocade (BRCD), ON Semi (ONNN) and National (NSM) Jumping Today
Semicondutors Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:BRCD), ON Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ:ONNN) and National Semiconductor Corporation (NYSE:NSM) are all trading positive today, led by Brocade, which has enjoyed the largest gains in the semi sector today. Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. made the biggest move in anticipation of its earnings report after the market closes. Brocade was
Weight Watchers 2011 Forecast Blows Away Expectations; Shares Rocket Higher (WTW)
Weight management specialist Weight Watchers International, Inc. ( WTW ) on Thursday posted better-than-expected fourth quarter earnings and provided at 2011 forecast that wowed investing, sending its shares soaring in premarket trading. The New York-based company reported forth quarter net income of $48.9 million, or 66 cents per share, compared with just $18.7 million, or 24 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Excluding items, adjusted profit was 64 cents per share. Revenue jumped almost 15% from last year to $356.7 million. On average, Wall Street analysts expected a smaller profit of 56 cents per share, on lower revenue of $321 million. The company’s real surprise came in its guidance. For 2011, WTW said it expects full-year earnings to range from $3.50 to $3.85 per share, which would absolutely blow away analysts’ view for $2.77 per share. Weight Watchers shares surged $14.88, or +33%, in premarket trading Thursday. The Bottom Line Shares of Weight Watchers ( WTW ) have a 1.56% dividend yield, based on last night’s closing stock price of $44.92. The stock is blowing through all-time high levels of $57-$58 a share this morning. We’ll see if this level of overhead resistance plays a role in the stock as the day progresses. Weight Watchers International, Inc. ( WTW ) is not recommended at this time, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars. Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks , as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here .
Dr Pepper Snapple Q4 Profit Falls, but Still Beats View; Shares Rise (DPS)
Beverage giant Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. ( DPS ) on Thursday posted better-than-expected fourth quarter earnings, sending its shares soaring in premarket trading. The Plano, TX-based company reported fourth quarter net income of $112 million, or 49 cents per share, compared with $114 million, or 44 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Excluding one-time items, adjusted profit was 67 cents per share. Net sales rose 4% from last year to $1.41 billion. On average, Wall Street analysts expected a smaller adjusted profit of 63 cents per share. Looking ahead, the company forecast full-year 2011 earnings to range from $2.70 to $2.78 per share, while analysts expect $2.72 per share for the year. Dr Pepper Snapple shares rose $1.50, or +4.4%, in premarket trading Thursday. The Bottom Line We recently added shares of Dr.Pepper Snapple Group ( DPS ) to our recommended list. The company has a 2.92% dividend yield, based on last night’s closing stock price of $34.25. Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. ( DPS ) is a “Recommended” dividend stock, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars. Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks , as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here .
Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC), AIG (NYSE:AIG) Drag Financials Down
The overall financial sector in the U.S. is under downward pressure, dragged down by Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) and AIG (NYSE:AIG).Wells Fargo fell on the abrupt news Chief Financial Officer Howard Atkins was retiring for personal reasons. Atkins had been indispensable over the last several years to the company, and his leaving is a real blow to Wells.AIG dropped after the company announced it was
