Category: Sector Analysis
The analysis published under this category are as follows.Tuesday, July 05, 2011
Investors, It's Time for Quadruple Profit Gains, AGAIN... in Biotech Stocks / Companies / Sector Analysis
Dr. Steve Sjuggerud writes: Is it time for quadruple-digit gains in biotech stocks, again?
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Biotech and the Unintended Consequences of Moore's Law / Stock-Markets / Sector Analysis
Today we turn away from Europe and QE2 and talk about something I find far more interesting, if not as immediate. I have been talking and emailing with Pat Cox of Breakthrough Technology Alerts a lot lately. There is just so much happening in the biotech space and, as long-time readers know, that is my hobby and the one place I actually buy stocks in this market.
There is just so much misinformation (and sometimes borderline lies by short-sellers). I asked Pat to give us an update on the state of the stem-cell world, and in typical Pat fashion he gives us a lot more to think about. Indeed, Moore’s Law is changing more than just computers.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
How to Profit from the Global Shipping Industry / Stock-Markets / Sector Analysis
Larry D. Spears writes: The shipping industry plays an indispensable role in connecting consumers with their most cherished goods. But many investors unfamiliar with its inner-workings underestimate its potential as a massive profit generator.
Meanwhile, investors who are aware of its importance, and can track the volatile ups and downs of the companies that provide shipping services, frequently score big gains from its oft-repeating profit opportunities.
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Thursday, May 05, 2011
Defensive Stocks Sector Strength Points to S&P 500 Weakness / Stock-Markets / Sector Analysis
The recent sector strength of the Consumer staples ETF (XLP) over the Consumer discretionary ETF (XLY) indicates that money is now flowing out of a growth industry group and into a defensive sector. This action normally occurs during a period of weakness in the S&P 500.
Over the past few years, this shift in buying pressure between these two consumer sectors has provided guidance to the short term movements of the broad-based S&P 500. As models are indicating that a low in the index is expected in June, the returning performance of the defensive staples sector over discretionaries adds some additional evidence to the anticipated pullback.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Biotech Investing: Phase II is the Sweet Spot / Companies / Sector Analysis
Marc Lichtenfeld writes: I recently received a call from an investor relations representative who wanted to know if I'd be interested in hearing about a small biotech company with a drug candidate in Phase II trials.
Obviously, I accepted.
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Friday, March 25, 2011
Why Stock Exchanges Are Such Hot Properties / Companies / Sector Analysis
Martin Hutchinson writes: Stock exchange mergers are all the rage these days.
The NYSE Euronext Group (NYSE: NYX) and Deutsche Boerse AG are attempting to merge and the London Stock Exchange Group PLC and TMX Group Inc. are also getting together.
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Thursday, March 24, 2011
Japan Disaster Means Investors Should Beware of Insurance Stocks / Companies / Sector Analysis
Martin Hutchinson writes: The catastrophe-modeling company AIR Worldwide Corp. has estimated that insurance company losses from the Japanese earthquake and tsunami could reach $35 billion.
That has insurance analysts feeling bullish about insurance stocks: In their view, losses are good because it enables the insurers to ratchet up their premiums.
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Monday, March 21, 2011
Stock Energy, Materials, and Industrial Sectors Are Well Positioned / Stock-Markets / Sector Analysis
Since the markets have pulled back significantly from their recent highs, it is a good time to revisit our big picture investment strategy. Attractive sectors, based on fundamental and technical data, include energy (XLE) and industrial stocks (XLI). While a good case for stocks in the materials sector (XLB) also exists, we prefer the materials themselves (commodities) relative to stocks.
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Monday, March 21, 2011
The Japanese Earthquake and Insurance Companies / Companies / Sector Analysis
David Zeiler writes: With estimates for insured losses from Japan's March 11 earthquake ranging from $12 billion to $35 billion, many investors have lost faith in reinsurance companies that have exposure to the stricken island nation.
But despite having to make some significant payouts, reinsurers ultimately may prosper from the disaster.
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Thursday, March 03, 2011
How Investors Can Clean Up with Waste Management Stocks / Companies / Sector Analysis
Larry D. Spears writes: Money Morning on Feb. 9 described the profit potential of companies that are dealing with the world's water crisis, noting that 1.15 billion people around the globe currently lack access to clean water supplies.
However, even more people - 2.6 billion, according to the World Water Council - live in areas without adequate sanitation, making waste management an equally pressing global concern.
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Monday, February 07, 2011
Nine Winning Sports Stocks as We Enter Championship Season / Companies / Sector Analysis
Jason Simpkins writes: After all of the buildup, Super Bowl XLV is finally in the history books. But the fact that America's new favorite pastime is now in hiatus doesn't mean the world of sports will stop spinning.
In fact, a number of high-profile sporting events will take place in the next few months:
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Sunday, February 06, 2011
Can You Profit From the 'Death' of the Newspaper? / Companies / Sector Analysis
More importantly, should companies like News Corporation (NWS:NASDAQ), Gannett Co., Inc. (GCI:NYSE), CBS Corporation (CBS:NYSE), Viacom, Inc. (VIA.B:NYSE), and Journal Communications (JRN:NYSE) be on your "short sell" list?
You would think a resounding "yes" would be the response to the question when asked to most people under the age of 35. I think they are right, at least partially... Let me explain.
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Saturday, February 05, 2011
Stock Market February Seasonality / Stock-Markets / Sector Analysis
February is an interesting month by seasonality. Typically the start of six months of underperformance for precious metals and the start of six months of outperformance for oil, it is also the second weakest month of the calendar for stocks.
On this occasion I expect Gold to buck seasonal weakness, given that it has been consolidating for the last 3 months during its seasonally strong time and is now signalling a buy:
Friday, February 04, 2011
Airline Profits Grounded by Rising Fuel Prices and Bad Weather / Companies / Sector Analysis
Don Miller writes: After barely scraping through a two-year recession and a global financial meltdown, the airline industry's struggle to sustain a turnaround is now being threatened by rising fuel prices and nasty winter weather.
Civil unrest in Egypt combined with surging demand have already boosted oil prices by 20% since last June, setting off alarm bells among the nation's carriers. Now, a series of winter storms that began in December has slashed airlines' revenues by tens of millions of dollars.
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Monday, December 20, 2010
Investors Bargain Shopping in Peru, Chile and Brazil / Companies / Sector Analysis
Global Strategist Jacek Dzierwa has just returned from another research trip to Latin America where he visited Peru, Chile and Brazil. Travel is important for our tacit knowledge because many of the world’s best opportunities aren’t discovered behind a Bloomberg terminal or an earnings report. We venture to visit as many companies as possible before investing in them.
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Friday, December 17, 2010
How to Profit From the Fast Emerging Mobile Banking Sector / Companies / Sector Analysis
Shah Gilani writes: With the emergence of handset-driven e-commerce technology, banks, mobile-phone sellers and telecom-service providers are working feverishly to cook up a profitable recipe for the fast-growing mobile-banking business.
But with so many players setting up shop - and so many potential new mobile-payment services on the menu - the safest profit play for investors may be the one that's able to deliver all these services to end -users.
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Tuesday, December 14, 2010
U.S. Retailers Canary in the Coal Mine / Companies / Sector Analysis
Some people have contested my statement that there are thousands more retail stores in the US today than there were in 2007. Yes, many mom and pop stores have gone out of business, but the big boys continued to expand in the face of reality. The mall based mega-retailers dominate the retail landscape in this country. Here is a partial list of the biggest retailers in the US and their store counts.
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Sunday, December 05, 2010
How You Can Profit From the Return of the American Consumer / Companies / Sector Analysis
David Fessler writes: It didn’t take a genius to see how the situation would unfold…
Towards the end of 2009, with the U.S. economy mired in a deep recession, hundreds of thousands of people losing their jobs, and many consumers counting the cost of excessive spending, the shift began.
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Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Cyber Monday: The "Online Black Friday" Signals Shift in U.S. Holiday Shopping Trends / Companies / Sector Analysis
Kerri Shannon writes: U.S. retailers are hoping consumers' growing shift to online shopping will carry Black Friday's spending momentum through this week, which kicked off with Internet-only deals and discounts on yesterday's "Cyber Monday."
The Monday after Thanksgiving in the past few years has evolved into one of the biggest online shopping days of the year. The number of Cyber Monday shoppers has almost doubled in the past five years, from 59 million in 2005 to an estimated 106.9 million in 2010, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).
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Saturday, November 27, 2010
The Retail Sector’s Winners and Losers This Holiday Season / Companies / Sector Analysis
Marc Lichtenfeld writes: Forget the breathless buildup to Black Friday – the much-ballyhooed Thanksgiving sales event.
In an effort to pre-empt the frantic holiday shopping season, America’s retailers are already in full-on sales mode, having instituted “Black November” instead.
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