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
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Carlos Slim Catches Gold Fever
Carlos Slim beat both Warren Buffett and Bill Gates in stock market performance last year. The reason: a hell-bent plan to start a brand-new gold and silver mining company in Mexico. Slim’s publicly disclosed holdings jumped 37% to $70 billion in 2010, according to data compiled by Bloomberg . Meanwhile, Buffett helped return a 22% gain for Berkshire Hathaway last year, and Gates’ Microsoft fell, hurting his overall annual returns even as he spread his investments into other sectors… The World’s Richest Man catches gold fever Slim — who made his fortune by building one of the world’s biggest telecommunication empires — has recently been making significant investments in gold and silver, particularly with a focus on precious metal mining in Mexico. Carlos Slim became the world’s richest man in 2010 with an estimated net worth of $55 billion. And a new spin-off mining company may help him widen his lead atop the global wealth list… Back in August, Slim’s holding company, Grupo Carso, S.A.B. de C.V., announced it would spin off a new precious metal mining company that would be focused on gold and silver mining in Mexico. The news added billions to Slim’s already ridiculous fortune as the plan to spin off the new company sent shares of Grupo Carso soaring in 2010, making it his best-performing asset last year. The new company (called Minera Frisco) produced nearly 200,000 ounces of gold and 5.5 million ounces of silver from its Mexican projects in 2010. Frisco recently reported plans to spend nearly $750 million this year to ramp up gold and silver production. The company estimates production from new mines in Mexico will more than double the company’s gold production to 440,000 ounces and nearly quadruple its silver production to 19.1 million ounces in 2011. Shares of Minera Frisco began trading Mexican Stock Exchange at the beginning of this year. But Slim and his family received nearly 80% of the new shares of Minera Frisco, and the stock is very thinly traded. Most analysts and investors will most likely avoid covering or owning this stock… However, there are many suitable alternative companies with a focus on gold and silver mining in Mexico. The largest of Minera Frisco’s publicly-traded competitors is the London-based silver major Fresnillo plc (LON: FRES) . Fresnillo plc Exchange: Symbol London: FRES P/E 39.76 Share Price 1,450 GBX Divided 5.90 GBX Market Cap 10.41 Billion GBP Yield 1.12% Fresnillo is the …
General Electric Upgraded to “Buy” at Argus Research on Strong Industrial Business (GE)
Multinational conglomerate General Electric Company ( GE ) on Friday caught a big upgrade from analysts at Argus Research. The firm said it boosted its rating on GE from “Hold” to “Buy” with a $26 price target. That target implies a 28% upside to the stock’s Thursday closing price of $20.28. An Argus analyst noted that GE’s strengthening industrial business is driving growth within the company. General Electric shares rose 12 cents, or +0.6%, in premarket trading Friday. The Bottom Line We have been recommending shares of General Electric ( GE ) since July 23, 2010, when the stock was trading at $15.21. The company has a 2.76% dividend yield, based on last night’s closing stock price of $20.28. General Electric Company ( GE ) 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 .
Eaton Corp Upgraded to “Outperform” at Robert Baird (ETN)
Power management specialist Eaton Corporation ( ETN ) on Friday caught a big upgrade from analysts at Robert Baird. The firm said it boosted its rating on ETN from “Neutral” to “Outperform” with a $130 price target. That target implies a 30% upside from the stock’s Thursday closing price of $100.21. A Robert Baird analyst noted the company should see higher spending over the next few quarters. Eaton Corp shares rose $1.99, or +2%, in premarket trading Friday. The Bottom Line We have been recommending shares of Eaton Corp ( ETN ) since Nov.24, when the stock was trading at $95.81. The company has a 2.32% dividend yield, based on last night’s closing stock price of $100.21. Eaton Corporation ( ETN ) 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 .
Procter & Gamble Started as an “Outperform” at Wells Fargo (PG)
Consumer products maker The Procter & Gamble Company ( PG ) on Thursday saw its coverage initiated with an “Outperform” rating by analysts at Wells Fargo. The firm also set a $70-73 valuation range on the stock, which implies a 7% to 12% upside to the stock’s Wednesday closing price of $65.35. A Wells Fargo analyst commented, “Our positive view within our Market Weight Household and Personal Care sector rating is based on (1) P&G’s industry leading R&D investments, (2) penetration acceleration in developing and emerging (D&E) markets (i.e., more relative runway vs. competitors), and (3) leveraging both scale and financial strength to grow earnings. Near-term gross margin should be restrained by rising input costs. Long-term gross/op margin expansion should be driven by ongoing cost savings initiatives, improving business/product mix, and leveraging distribution expansion…Our FY ’11/’12 EPS estimates of $3.98/$4.39.” Procter & Gamble shares were mostly flat in premarket trading Thursday. The Bottom Line We have been recommending shares of Procter & Gamble ( PG ) since Sept.1, 2009, when the stock was trading at $54.11. The company has a 2.95% dividend yield, based on last night’s closing stock price of $65.35. The Procter & Gamble Company ( PG ) 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 .
McDonald’s Upgraded to “Outperform” at RBC Capital (MCD)
Fast food superpower McDonald’s Corporation ( MCD ) on Tuesday caught an upgrade from analysts at RBC Capital Markets on a valuation call. The firm said it upgraded MCD from “Sector Perform” to “Outperform,” noting the company is a good way to play rising inflation. RBC Capital also set an $85 price target from MCD, which implies a 15% upside to the stock’s Friday closing price of $74.06. McDonald’s shares rose 74 cents, or +1%, in premarket trading Tuesday. The Bottom Line We have been recommending shares of McDonald’s ( MCD ) since Aug.12, 2009, when the stock was trading at $56.02. The company has a 3.29% dividend yield, based on last night’s closing stock price of $74.06. McDonald’s Corporation ( MCD ) is a “Recommended” dividend stock, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.6 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 .
Bank Stocks Lead Again – Voice of the People
The leading sector in the stock market is now the banking stocks. Since late November 2010, this industry group has surged to the upside.
Verizon Upgraded to “Buy” at Goldman Sachs (VZ)
Telecom giant Verizon Communications Inc. ( VZ ) on Wednesday saw its rating and price target boosted by analysts at Goldman Sachs. The firm said it upgraded VZ from “Neutral” to “Buy” while raising its price target from $34 to $42. That new target implies a 19% upside to the stock’s Tuesday closing price of $35.36. Goldman called VZ its top large-cap pick across Comm Services, and noted it expects the stock to continue to outperform in 2011. The analyst expects wireless service revenue growth to be a main catalyst for the company. Verizon shares rose 34 cents, or +1%, in premarket trading Wednesday. The Bottom Line We have been recommending shares of Verizon ( VZ ) since Oct.10, 2008, when the stock was trading at $25.93. The company has a 5.51% dividend yield, based on last night’s closing stock price of $35.36. Verizon Communications Inc. ( VZ ) 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 .
