InvestorGuide.com Weekly Newsletter Weekly Newsletter from InvestorGuide.com http://www.investorguide.com Weekly Newsletter for Monday, November 09 , 2009 IG logo
Market Overview
DJIA 10,023.42 +310.69
S&P 1,069.3 +33.12
NYSE 6,958.29 +218.84
NASDAQ 2,112.44 +67.33
10Yr 3.503% +0.111
Dollar 75.77 -0.62
More market statistics

Weekly Wrap Up
Last week began with a slow start, but ended on a high note. Overall, the markets trended upward throughout the week. However, investors saw the most impressive swings on Thursday when the Dow Jones managed to eclipse the coveted 10,000 point mark. For the week, the Dow Jones rose 310.69 points to 10023.42 while the Nasdaq jumped up 67.33 points to finish at 2112.44. The S&P 500 advanced 33.11 points to 1069.30. The week started off on the right foot as the Ford Motor Company (F: Charts, News, Offers) announced a third-quarter net income of $997 million. Its first operating profit since early 2008. Investors also seemed excited about Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK.A: Charts, News, Offers) decision to purchase Burlington Northern Santa Fe for $44 billion. However, the week also witnessed major companies announcing jobs cuts. Nokia Siemens Networks plans to eliminate as many as 5,760 jobs while Johnson & Johnson (JNJ: Charts, News, Offers) intends to reduce its workforce by 8,200 employees. In other corporate news, Disney (DIS: Charts, News, Offers) received approval from the Chinese central government to open up a park in Shanghai after nearly 10 years of negotiations. The big break for the markets came on Thursday when the Labor Department announced that unemployment filings fell to its lowest level since January. The news appeared to inspire investors’ confidence in the economy. Cisco (CSCO: Charts, News, Offers) also added to the optimism when it announced that it expects revenue to grow for the first time in a year. Unfortunately, it was not all positive on Thursday. The CVS (CVS: Charts, News, Offers) pharmacy unit reported that it lost $3.7 billion in contracts in the third quarter. Investors did not take kindly to this news, and sent company shares to an eight year low. The markets’ positive momentum slowed down Friday after the US jobless rate crept up to 10.2% for October, the highest level since April of 1983. The December delivery for crude oil gained $0.43 per barrel to $77.43, and the price of gold went up 55.40 a troy ounce to $1095.10. More Market News

Economic News
Is Warren Buffett calling a bottom?
Warren Buffett said he's making an "all-in wager on the economic future of the United States" with the purchase of railroad Burlington Northern Santa Fe. Let's hope it's a bet that Buffett wins. The Oracle of Omaha stunned the markets Tuesday with the announcement that his holding company Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A: Charts, News, Offers) was scooping up the remaining 77% of Burlington Northern (BNI: Charts, News, Offers) that it didn't already own. He's paying $100 a share, a 31.5% premium to Monday's closing price. Unsurprisingly, shares of Burlington shot up nearly 30% Tuesday. Choo-choo! And even though the Burlington deal may not spark a massive wave of consolidation in the railroad industry, don't tell that to traders. (Source: CNN Money) Click here to read the full article

Jobless Claims Drop During the Last Week of October
Last week, the number of people filing initial claims for state unemployment dropped by 20,000. As a result, benefits dropped to a seasonally adjusted 512,000. This drop in filings was the first in the past two weeks, and it is the lowest level of initial claims seen since early January. That said, initial jobless claims have come in atop 500,000 for the past 51 weeks. In addition, the four-week average of claims dropped 3,000 to 523,700. This total is the lowest since the beginning of the year. Expectations called for initial jobless claims to drop to 520,000 last week, so it may be time to sound the rally bell. This data comes before Friday's highly anticipated nonfarm payroll report. It is believed that nonfarm payrolls will drop by 150,000 in October, with an unemployment rate of 9.9%. Thursday's data is considered a precursor to Friday's report. (Source: Blogging Stocks) Click here to read the full article

Jobless Rate at 10.2 Percent, and It's Likely to Stay High for Months to Come
It finally happened. After months of anticipation and trepidation, the nation's unemployment rate inched into double digits, reaching 10.2 percent in October, after employers cut 190,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department reported Friday. The increase topped analyst expectations of 175,000 lost positions and a rise in the jobless rate to 9.9 percent. But now that the 10-percent mark has been breached, what does it mean for investors, and more important, those looking for work? (Source: Daily Finance) Click here to read the full article

Business News
Will Moffat, Ruiz Departures Distance IBM, AMD From Scandal?
The departures of IBM (IBM: Charts, News, Offers) Systems and Technology Group Senior Vice President Robert Moffat and former AMD (AMD: Charts, News, Offers) CEO and GlobalFoundries Chairman Hector Ruiz should help distance the two vendors from the alleged insider trading scandal that has rocked the technology world, according to partners of both vendors. IBM told employees last Friday that Moffat, at one time considered a rising star in IBM and a possible successor to IBM Chairman Sam Palmisano, is no longer an employee of IBM. (Source: Channel Web) Click here to read the full article

Thomson Reuters Revenue Dips on Weak Sales
Thomson Reuters (TRI: Charts, News, Offers), the news and financial data publisher, reported a 3 per cent rise in its operating profit, but revenue was dragged down by weaker sales in its markets division, which serves the financial industry. The company, which was formed by the merger of Thomson Corp and Reuters Group Plc in 2007, said that underlying operating profit, which takes out the cost of integrating the two companies, amortisation and other items, was up 3 per cent to $711 million, from $690 million a year earlier. Net profit fell 9.7 per cent to $162 million. Thomas Glocer, Thomson Reuters chief executive, said the company’s tax and accounting and healthcare and science businesses continued to perform strongly. But the company expects the impact of weaker subscription sales in its markets and legal businesses in 2009 to continue to drag on revenue in the first half of 2010. (Source: Times Online) Click here to read the full article

Ford Earns $997 Million on Better Prices for Vehicles
Ford Motor Co. (F: Charts, News, Offers), the only major U.S. automaker to avoid bankruptcy, rose after posting an unexpected third-quarter net income of $997 million, its first operating profit since early 2008 on smaller discounts and higher sales. On an adjusted basis, Ford reported a quarterly pretax profit of $1.1 billion, or 26 cents a share, compared with a year-earlier loss of $3 billion, or $1.32. Ford beat the 20 cents a share adjusted loss estimated by an average of 11 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. It expects to be "solidly profitable" in 2011. Click here to read the full article

Technology Focus
NY AG Cuomo Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Intel
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, has filed an antitrust lawsuit against the computer chip manufacturing giant Intel, accusing the company of engaging in a "systematic worldwide campaign of illegal, exclusionary conduct to maintain its monopoly power," in the market for computer chips starting in 2001. The complaint alleges that Intel paid hundreds of millions and in some cases billions of dollars in rebates to PC manufacturers in an attempt to limit their use of chips from rival Advanced Micro Devices. When PC companies appeared to be getting too close to AMD, Intel would, the complaint says, threaten them with retribution by withholding payments they were receiving from Intel. These payments, which Intel called "rebates," amounted to what Cuomo called "payoffs with no legitimate business purpose that Intel invented to disguise their anticompetitive nature." (Source: BusinessWeek) Click here to read the full article

Inflatable Seat Belts to Debut in 2011 Ford Explorer
Ford Motor Co. (F: Charts, News, Offers) said today that its new inflatable seat belts will provide additional safety for rear seat passengers, especially children and the elderly, who more frequently sit in the back rows of cars and trucks. "This really is about improving family safety," said Sue Cischke, Ford group vice president of sustainability, environmental and safety engineering. Ford unveiled its new inflatable seat belts this morning in Dearborn. The company said the system marks an opportunity for Ford to turn its efforts on improving occupant safety to the passengers who sit in the back of vehicles. (Source: Freep.com) Click here to read the full article

Fever Pitch: It's Droid Day, Enjoy The Moment.
If you are a tech lover, there is nothing quite like the launch day of a much hyped new gadget. Expectations run high. And since those expectations are rarely satisfied once you have the special little device in hand, it's a moment to savor. In the hours before you own it, that device is perfect in every way. It will make you happier, a better person. There are no bugs, there are only features. It is whatever you want it to be. Launch day of a new cool gadget is the closest thing to being a kid again on Christmas day (or whatever your winter solstice holiday of choice). You've anticipated the day. You've called in sick to work. And you are standing out in the freezing cold at 7 in the morning, hoping your place in line assures you a device before the carefully-planned sell out occurs. You've worked yourself into a Fever Pitch. I've always been let down with the real world gadget after that high of anticipation. But that's ok. It's part of the cycle of tech. Today is Droid day. In just a few hours Verizon (V: Charts, News, Offers) stores will open and the first customers will get their hands on their very own Droid. (Source: TechCrunch) Click here to read the full article

Your Money
What To Do If The Market Goes Cold This Winter
Investors accustomed to seeing strong stock market gains in the October-February period, may be wondering what this year will bring after the stunning rally that began in April. Much of that has been based on the assumption that recession would yield to recovery and then expansion. There is, however, a contrarian view that says the market is already way ahead of the economic reality and that the rally to date, never mind the end-of-year bounce, is wishful thinking. Call it the what if scenario. Suppose we are in for a double dip recession, or an anemic, flat-line recovery? What should you do with your money if the Dow Jones Industrial Average drops like the temperature this winter? (Source: CNBC) Click here to read the full article


Visit the Weekly Newsletter archives here

Last Week
October 26-30



Copyright(c) 2009 by InvestorGuide.com. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Unauthorized duplication, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited.
]]> IG logo

Market Overview
DJIA 10,023.42 +310.69
S&P 1,069.3 +33.12
NYSE 6,958.29 +218.84
NASDAQ 2,112.44 +67.33
10Yr 3.503% +0.111
Dollar 75.77 -0.62
More market statistics

Weekly Wrap Up
Last week began with a slow start, but ended on a high note. Overall, the markets trended upward throughout the week. However, investors saw the most impressive swings on Thursday when the Dow Jones managed to eclipse the coveted 10,000 point mark. For the week, the Dow Jones rose 310.69 points to 10023.42 while the Nasdaq jumped up 67.33 points to finish at 2112.44. The S&P 500 advanced 33.11 points to 1069.30. The week started off on the right foot as the Ford Motor Company (F: Charts, News, Offers) announced a third-quarter net income of $997 million. Its first operating profit since early 2008. Investors also seemed excited about Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK.A: Charts, News, Offers) decision to purchase Burlington Northern Santa Fe for $44 billion. However, the week also witnessed major companies announcing jobs cuts. Nokia Siemens Networks plans to eliminate as many as 5,760 jobs while Johnson & Johnson (JNJ: Charts, News, Offers) intends to reduce its workforce by 8,200 employees. In other corporate news, Disney (DIS: Charts, News, Offers) received approval from the Chinese central government to open up a park in Shanghai after nearly 10 years of negotiations. The big break for the markets came on Thursday when the Labor Department announced that unemployment filings fell to its lowest level since January. The news appeared to inspire investors’ confidence in the economy. Cisco (CSCO: Charts, News, Offers) also added to the optimism when it announced that it expects revenue to grow for the first time in a year. Unfortunately, it was not all positive on Thursday. The CVS (CVS: Charts, News, Offers) pharmacy unit reported that it lost $3.7 billion in contracts in the third quarter. Investors did not take kindly to this news, and sent company shares to an eight year low. The markets’ positive momentum slowed down Friday after the US jobless rate crept up to 10.2% for October, the highest level since April of 1983. The December delivery for crude oil gained $0.43 per barrel to $77.43, and the price of gold went up 55.40 a troy ounce to $1095.10. More Market News

Economic News
Is Warren Buffett calling a bottom?
Warren Buffett said he's making an "all-in wager on the economic future of the United States" with the purchase of railroad Burlington Northern Santa Fe. Let's hope it's a bet that Buffett wins. The Oracle of Omaha stunned the markets Tuesday with the announcement that his holding company Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A: Charts, News, Offers) was scooping up the remaining 77% of Burlington Northern (BNI: Charts, News, Offers) that it didn't already own. He's paying $100 a share, a 31.5% premium to Monday's closing price. Unsurprisingly, shares of Burlington shot up nearly 30% Tuesday. Choo-choo! And even though the Burlington deal may not spark a massive wave of consolidation in the railroad industry, don't tell that to traders. (Source: CNN Money) Click here to read the full article

Jobless Claims Drop During the Last Week of October
Last week, the number of people filing initial claims for state unemployment dropped by 20,000. As a result, benefits dropped to a seasonally adjusted 512,000. This drop in filings was the first in the past two weeks, and it is the lowest level of initial claims seen since early January. That said, initial jobless claims have come in atop 500,000 for the past 51 weeks. In addition, the four-week average of claims dropped 3,000 to 523,700. This total is the lowest since the beginning of the year. Expectations called for initial jobless claims to drop to 520,000 last week, so it may be time to sound the rally bell. This data comes before Friday's highly anticipated nonfarm payroll report. It is believed that nonfarm payrolls will drop by 150,000 in October, with an unemployment rate of 9.9%. Thursday's data is considered a precursor to Friday's report. (Source: Blogging Stocks) Click here to read the full article

Jobless Rate at 10.2 Percent, and It's Likely to Stay High for Months to Come
It finally happened. After months of anticipation and trepidation, the nation's unemployment rate inched into double digits, reaching 10.2 percent in October, after employers cut 190,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department reported Friday. The increase topped analyst expectations of 175,000 lost positions and a rise in the jobless rate to 9.9 percent. But now that the 10-percent mark has been breached, what does it mean for investors, and more important, those looking for work? (Source: Daily Finance) Click here to read the full article

Business News
Will Moffat, Ruiz Departures Distance IBM, AMD From Scandal?
The departures of IBM (IBM: Charts, News, Offers) Systems and Technology Group Senior Vice President Robert Moffat and former AMD (AMD: Charts, News, Offers) CEO and GlobalFoundries Chairman Hector Ruiz should help distance the two vendors from the alleged insider trading scandal that has rocked the technology world, according to partners of both vendors. IBM told employees last Friday that Moffat, at one time considered a rising star in IBM and a possible successor to IBM Chairman Sam Palmisano, is no longer an employee of IBM. (Source: Channel Web) Click here to read the full article

Thomson Reuters Revenue Dips on Weak Sales
Thomson Reuters (TRI: Charts, News, Offers), the news and financial data publisher, reported a 3 per cent rise in its operating profit, but revenue was dragged down by weaker sales in its markets division, which serves the financial industry. The company, which was formed by the merger of Thomson Corp and Reuters Group Plc in 2007, said that underlying operating profit, which takes out the cost of integrating the two companies, amortisation and other items, was up 3 per cent to $711 million, from $690 million a year earlier. Net profit fell 9.7 per cent to $162 million. Thomas Glocer, Thomson Reuters chief executive, said the company’s tax and accounting and healthcare and science businesses continued to perform strongly. But the company expects the impact of weaker subscription sales in its markets and legal businesses in 2009 to continue to drag on revenue in the first half of 2010. (Source: Times Online) Click here to read the full article

Ford Earns $997 Million on Better Prices for Vehicles
Ford Motor Co. (F: Charts, News, Offers), the only major U.S. automaker to avoid bankruptcy, rose after posting an unexpected third-quarter net income of $997 million, its first operating profit since early 2008 on smaller discounts and higher sales. On an adjusted basis, Ford reported a quarterly pretax profit of $1.1 billion, or 26 cents a share, compared with a year-earlier loss of $3 billion, or $1.32. Ford beat the 20 cents a share adjusted loss estimated by an average of 11 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. It expects to be "solidly profitable" in 2011. Click here to read the full article

Technology Focus
NY AG Cuomo Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Intel
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, has filed an antitrust lawsuit against the computer chip manufacturing giant Intel, accusing the company of engaging in a "systematic worldwide campaign of illegal, exclusionary conduct to maintain its monopoly power," in the market for computer chips starting in 2001. The complaint alleges that Intel paid hundreds of millions and in some cases billions of dollars in rebates to PC manufacturers in an attempt to limit their use of chips from rival Advanced Micro Devices. When PC companies appeared to be getting too close to AMD, Intel would, the complaint says, threaten them with retribution by withholding payments they were receiving from Intel. These payments, which Intel called "rebates," amounted to what Cuomo called "payoffs with no legitimate business purpose that Intel invented to disguise their anticompetitive nature." (Source: BusinessWeek) Click here to read the full article

Inflatable Seat Belts to Debut in 2011 Ford Explorer
Ford Motor Co. (F: Charts, News, Offers) said today that its new inflatable seat belts will provide additional safety for rear seat passengers, especially children and the elderly, who more frequently sit in the back rows of cars and trucks. "This really is about improving family safety," said Sue Cischke, Ford group vice president of sustainability, environmental and safety engineering. Ford unveiled its new inflatable seat belts this morning in Dearborn. The company said the system marks an opportunity for Ford to turn its efforts on improving occupant safety to the passengers who sit in the back of vehicles. (Source: Freep.com) Click here to read the full article

Fever Pitch: It's Droid Day, Enjoy The Moment.
If you are a tech lover, there is nothing quite like the launch day of a much hyped new gadget. Expectations run high. And since those expectations are rarely satisfied once you have the special little device in hand, it's a moment to savor. In the hours before you own it, that device is perfect in every way. It will make you happier, a better person. There are no bugs, there are only features. It is whatever you want it to be. Launch day of a new cool gadget is the closest thing to being a kid again on Christmas day (or whatever your winter solstice holiday of choice). You've anticipated the day. You've called in sick to work. And you are standing out in the freezing cold at 7 in the morning, hoping your place in line assures you a device before the carefully-planned sell out occurs. You've worked yourself into a Fever Pitch. I've always been let down with the real world gadget after that high of anticipation. But that's ok. It's part of the cycle of tech. Today is Droid day. In just a few hours Verizon (V: Charts, News, Offers) stores will open and the first customers will get their hands on their very own Droid. (Source: TechCrunch) Click here to read the full article

Your Money
What To Do If The Market Goes Cold This Winter
Investors accustomed to seeing strong stock market gains in the October-February period, may be wondering what this year will bring after the stunning rally that began in April. Much of that has been based on the assumption that recession would yield to recovery and then expansion. There is, however, a contrarian view that says the market is already way ahead of the economic reality and that the rally to date, never mind the end-of-year bounce, is wishful thinking. Call it the what if scenario. Suppose we are in for a double dip recession, or an anemic, flat-line recovery? What should you do with your money if the Dow Jones Industrial Average drops like the temperature this winter? (Source: CNBC) Click here to read the full article


Visit the Weekly Newsletter archives here

Last Week
October 26-30



Copyright(c) 2009 by InvestorGuide.com. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Unauthorized duplication, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited.
]]> http://www.investorguide.com/weekly/weekly110909.html http://www.investorguide.com/weekly/weekly110909.html Monday, November 09 , 2009 Weekly Newsletter for Monday, November 02 , 2009 IG logo

Market Overview
DJIA 9,712.73 -259.45
S&P 1,036.18 -43.42
NYSE 6,739.45 -327.35
NASDAQ 2,045.11 -109.36
10Yr 3.392% -0.08
Dollar 76.47 +0.87
More market statistics

Weekly Wrap Up
The week before Halloween, investors must have been feeling fearful, as the markets pulled back for the second week in a row. This week's losses were quite significant, with the Dow Jones losing about 260 points, the NYSE losing over 325, and the Nasdaq losing almost 110. The markets trended down the majority of the week, as investors focused on disappointing economics news, including an unexpected dip in consumer spending and a surprising drop in new home sales. The only positive trading day came on Thursday, as the GDP was reported to have grown 3.5%, and jobless claims did not increase, causing investors to experience temporary hope in the end of the recession. A busy earnings season continued, with a number of surprises. Disappointing profits were seen at Verizon (VZ: Charts, News, Offers), McGraw-Hill (MHP: Charts, News, Offers), United States Steel Corp (X: Charts, News, Offers), AK Steel Holding Corp. (AKS: Charts, News, Offers), Chevron Corp. (CVX: Charts, News, Offers) and Nintendo. Exxon Mobil (XOM: Charts, News, Offers) disappointed as well, reporting unchanging production levels and a 68% drop in earnings per share. Even in this mostly negative week, a few companies did perform better than expected, including Motorola (MOT: Charts, News, Offers), Procter & Gamble (PG: Charts, News, Offers), and Estee Lauder Cos. (EL: Charts, News, Offers). Finally, CIT Group (CIT: Charts, News, Offers) made headlines through the week as initially, the company couldn't agree with investor Carl Icahn, but by the end of the week Icahn was reportedly supporting CIT's restructuring ideas, and it is thought that the company will file for bankruptcy any day now. Crude oil futures fell throughout the week, dropping almost $4 to close at $77.00 a barrel. More Market News

Economic News
US home price gains may not be sustainable-Shiller
The gains in U.S. home prices in recent months may not be sustainable and increases in some areas of the country appear to be in "bubble territory," an economist known for his property market expertise said on Tuesday. Robert Shiller, an economics professor at Yale University and co-developer of Standard and Poor's S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, told Reuters Television he does not give quantitative forecasts on where home prices are headed but is concerned about the recent pace of increases. (Source: Reuters) Click here to read the full article

Jobless claims little changed
The number of Americans filing for initial unemployment insurance were little changed last week, the government said Thursday, with a total figure that missed analysts' expectations. There were 530,000 initial job claims filed in the week ended Oct. 24, down 1,000 from an unrevised 531,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said in a weekly report. A consensus estimate of economists surveyed by Briefing.com expected 525,000 new claims. The 4-week moving average of initial claims was 526,250, down 6,000 from the previous week's revised average of 532,250. (Source: CNN Money) Click here to read the full article

US consumer spending dips first time in five months
US consumer spending, a critical growth driver, fell for the first time in five months in September, official data showed Friday amid fears the economy may slow just after exiting recession. Household spending decreased 47.2 billion dollars or 0.5 percent last month, as expected by most economists, following a revised 1.4 percent jump in August, the Commerce Department said. It was the biggest drop since December 2008. The fall in spending came as Americans' income turned flat in September following a 0.1 percent increase the previous month as the country emerged from nearly two years of recession stemming from a home mortgage crisis. (Source: Google News) Click here to read the full article

Business News
CIT Seen Filing for Bankruptcy in Coming Days
The CIT Group (CIT: Charts, News, Offers) is likely to file for bankruptcy in the coming days, analysts and experts told Reuters. Separately, the lender said Thursday that it had reached an agreement to reduce the amount of a $3 billion loan from Goldman Sachs (GS: Charts, News, Offers) made last year to about $2.13 billion and got a promise from Goldman not terminate the financing should CIT file for bankruptcy. In return, CIT will pay Goldman $285 million, a proportional amount of the $1 billion termination fee due to Goldman, and post an additional $250 million in collateral. CIT, a lender to small- and medium-size businesses, is trying to restructure its debt, and is offering investors two options. One path would be getting its unsecured debt holders - who hold a total of about $30 billion - to voluntarily exchange their bonds for new securities and equity. That path would avoid a bankruptcy filing. (Source: The New York Times) Click here to read the full article

Ford makes biggest gains in Consumer Reports annual reliability report, Japanese still lead
Consumer Reports has just released results from its annual reliability survey and the findings show that Ford (F: Charts, News, Offers) has made major gains to place itself among or ahead the most reliable Japanese brands. CR reports that 90 percent of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products scored average or better reliability, and important models like the mid-size Fusion scored above the Honda Accord (HMC: Charts, News, Offers) and Toyota Camry (TM: Charts, News, Offers). Not all was rosy for FoMoCo, however, as all-wheel-drive versions of the Lincoln MKS, MKX and MKZ all scored below average in reliability. General Motors had 20 of 48 models score average reliability, while Chrysler saw one-third of its models place below average. The Asian brands, meanwhile, are still the standard bearer for reliability. (Source: Autoblog) Click here to read the full article

U.S. Steel, AK Steel Decline on Results, Forecasts
U.S. Steel Corp. (X: Charts, News, Offers) and AK Steel Holding Corp. (AKS: Charts, News, Offers) fell in New York trading after reporting lower third-quarter results and offering fourth-quarter outlooks that were below analysts’ expectations. U.S. Steel tumbled $3.17, or 7.8 percent, to $37.41 at 4:15 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading, the biggest decline since Aug. 17. AK Steel fell $1.61, or 8.6 percent, to $17.18, the most since June 22. The deepest U.S. recession in seven decades has cut demand for the metal used in construction and manufacturing. U.S. Steel, the largest U.S.-based steelmaker, today posted its third-consecutive quarterly loss and forecast another loss for the current period. AK Steel, the fourth-largest producer, reported third-quarter profit that fell 97 percent and said its average selling price will drop 2 percent in the fourth quarter. (Source: Bloomberg) Click here to read the full article

Exxon’s Delicate Condition
Exxon Mobil (XOM: Charts, News, Offers) finds itself in ticklish circumstances that go well beyond the issue of the impact that sharply reduced crude prices had on its bottom line. The oil giant faced a big hangover with a comparison to last year’s third-quarter profit of nearly $15 billion - still a record for any one-quarter profit performance - and it’s a test that it failed when profit declines amounted to more than analysts had been anticipating. Net fell more than two-thirds - steeper than had been expected - to $4.7 billion, and EPS of 98 cents missed targets of $1.03, even though analysts were factoring in the decline in crude prices from the average of $118 a barrel in last year’s third quarter to $68 a barrel in this year’s. As expected, that resulted in a loss for its refining business. Exxon’s bigger short-coming may be in the stubbornness with which it has clung to its spending program, and the limits that might prevail upon its ability to return money to shareholders. (Source: Barron's) Click here to read the full article

Technology Focus
Why is the Wii wilting?
Nintendo's Wii has been one of the most profitable games consoles ever sold, and after its launch in 2006, Nintendo took months to satisfy pent-up demand. This enabled the company to charge a premium price for its hardware and make large profits while rivals such as Sony (SNE: Charts, News, Offers) and Microsoft (MSFT: Charts, News, Offers) were losing money on every machine they sold. Traditionally, manufacturers lose money on early sales in order to create a large fanbase. They make it back through sales of high-priced games and, later, on the consoles themselves, thanks to high-volume manufacturing and reducing the cost of the parts. In the early days, Nintendo gained an extra benefit as the main - almost the only - supplier of Wii games. Third-party software developers such as EA had not expected the machine to be such a success and had not planned many games for it. (Source: guardian.co.uk) Click here to read the full article

Sprint loses nearly half a billion dollars in third quarter
Subscribers continued to leave Sprint Nextel Corp. (S: Charts, News, Offers) during the third quarter, taking a toll on revenue and yielding a $478 million loss, the wireless carrier said Thursday. In a release before the market opened on Thursday, Overland Park, Kan.-based Sprint reported a loss for the three months that ended Sept. 30 that amounted to 17 cents a share. It compared with a loss of $326 million, or 11 cents a share, during the same period in 2008. Twenty-one analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters First Call reported a consensus estimate for a loss of 15 cents a share for the quarter. Sprint’s net operating revenue for the quarter was $8.04 billion, down 9 percent from $8.82 billion last year. (Source: Bizjournals) Click here to read the full article

Sony's Outlook Brightens
Sony’s (SNE: Charts, News, Offers) future is looking a bit brighter. The company said today that it now expects an operating loss of $655 million (60 billion yen) rather than $1.2 billion (110 billion yen). This despite an operating loss of $356 million (32.6 billion yen) in the July-September quarter, from a profit of $120 million (11.05 billion yen) a year ago. Many analysts had expected Sony to post a bigger loss. Still, Sony has a raft of problems to fix. Its mobile phone joint venture with Sweden’s Ericsson (ERIC: Charts, News, Offers) is struggling in the smartphone market. And while the profitability of its gaming and TV businesses are improving, they are expected to continue losing money for some time. Chairman and CEO Howard Stringer plans to discuss Sony’s latest strategic plans at a press event in November. Here’s an excerpt of the Q&A part of today’s press conference with Sony’s CFO Nobuyuki Oneda. (Source: Business Week) Click here to read the full article

Your Money
Why we don't hate Wal-Mart anymore
It seems like only days ago that Wal-Mart (WMT: Charts, News, Offers) was the most evil company on the planet. The list of accusations: It locked workers in stores overnight and ignored overtime rules; it didn't give health-care benefits to a lot of workers; and its execs dreaded union organizers so much they actually shut down a store to avoid letting the labor guys in the front door. Equality for women employees? Forget about it. That was for East Coast, Hillary-loving wimps, or Wegman's, to worry about. And then there was the part about alleged sweatshops in China. (Sam Walton, back in the day, personally hired toddlers. Right?) And let's not forget the decimation of Main Street, USA. To be honest, even long-time Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500) admirers had to admit that some of this was true. The company was a bit evil. (Source: CNN Money) Click here to read the full article

Quiz: Think You Understand Markets? Prove it
Know your stocks from your bonds? Your shorts from your longs? Many investors claim to. Unfortunately, some of those investors don't live up to their expectations. How do you rate? We've selected some questions from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's test of investor knowledge. The organization maintains the quiz as part of its mission to promote investor education. See how you do. . . (Source: CNBC) Click here to read the full article


Visit the Weekly Newsletter archives here

Last Week
October 19-23



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Market Overview
DJIA 9,712.73 -259.45
S&P 1,036.18 -43.42
NYSE 6,739.45 -327.35
NASDAQ 2,045.11 -109.36
10Yr 3.392% -0.08
Dollar 76.47 +0.87
More market statistics

Weekly Wrap Up
The week before Halloween, investors must have been feeling fearful, as the markets pulled back for the second week in a row. This week's losses were quite significant, with the Dow Jones losing about 260 points, the NYSE losing over 325, and the Nasdaq losing almost 110. The markets trended down the majority of the week, as investors focused on disappointing economics news, including an unexpected dip in consumer spending and a surprising drop in new home sales. The only positive trading day came on Thursday, as the GDP was reported to have grown 3.5%, and jobless claims did not increase, causing investors to experience temporary hope in the end of the recession. A busy earnings season continued, with a number of surprises. Disappointing profits were seen at Verizon (VZ: Charts, News, Offers), McGraw-Hill (MHP: Charts, News, Offers), United States Steel Corp (X: Charts, News, Offers), AK Steel Holding Corp. (AKS: Charts, News, Offers), Chevron Corp. (CVX: Charts, News, Offers) and Nintendo. Exxon Mobil (XOM: Charts, News, Offers) disappointed as well, reporting unchanging production levels and a 68% drop in earnings per share. Even in this mostly negative week, a few companies did perform better than expected, including Motorola (MOT: Charts, News, Offers), Procter & Gamble (PG: Charts, News, Offers), and Estee Lauder Cos. (EL: Charts, News, Offers). Finally, CIT Group (CIT: Charts, News, Offers) made headlines through the week as initially, the company couldn't agree with investor Carl Icahn, but by the end of the week Icahn was reportedly supporting CIT's restructuring ideas, and it is thought that the company will file for bankruptcy any day now. Crude oil futures fell throughout the week, dropping almost $4 to close at $77.00 a barrel. More Market News

Economic News
US home price gains may not be sustainable-Shiller
The gains in U.S. home prices in recent months may not be sustainable and increases in some areas of the country appear to be in "bubble territory," an economist known for his property market expertise said on Tuesday. Robert Shiller, an economics professor at Yale University and co-developer of Standard and Poor's S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, told Reuters Television he does not give quantitative forecasts on where home prices are headed but is concerned about the recent pace of increases. (Source: Reuters) Click here to read the full article

Jobless claims little changed
The number of Americans filing for initial unemployment insurance were little changed last week, the government said Thursday, with a total figure that missed analysts' expectations. There were 530,000 initial job claims filed in the week ended Oct. 24, down 1,000 from an unrevised 531,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said in a weekly report. A consensus estimate of economists surveyed by Briefing.com expected 525,000 new claims. The 4-week moving average of initial claims was 526,250, down 6,000 from the previous week's revised average of 532,250. (Source: CNN Money) Click here to read the full article

US consumer spending dips first time in five months
US consumer spending, a critical growth driver, fell for the first time in five months in September, official data showed Friday amid fears the economy may slow just after exiting recession. Household spending decreased 47.2 billion dollars or 0.5 percent last month, as expected by most economists, following a revised 1.4 percent jump in August, the Commerce Department said. It was the biggest drop since December 2008. The fall in spending came as Americans' income turned flat in September following a 0.1 percent increase the previous month as the country emerged from nearly two years of recession stemming from a home mortgage crisis. (Source: Google News) Click here to read the full article

Business News
CIT Seen Filing for Bankruptcy in Coming Days
The CIT Group (CIT: Charts, News, Offers) is likely to file for bankruptcy in the coming days, analysts and experts told Reuters. Separately, the lender said Thursday that it had reached an agreement to reduce the amount of a $3 billion loan from Goldman Sachs (GS: Charts, News, Offers) made last year to about $2.13 billion and got a promise from Goldman not terminate the financing should CIT file for bankruptcy. In return, CIT will pay Goldman $285 million, a proportional amount of the $1 billion termination fee due to Goldman, and post an additional $250 million in collateral. CIT, a lender to small- and medium-size businesses, is trying to restructure its debt, and is offering investors two options. One path would be getting its unsecured debt holders - who hold a total of about $30 billion - to voluntarily exchange their bonds for new securities and equity. That path would avoid a bankruptcy filing. (Source: The New York Times) Click here to read the full article

Ford makes biggest gains in Consumer Reports annual reliability report, Japanese still lead
Consumer Reports has just released results from its annual reliability survey and the findings show that Ford (F: Charts, News, Offers) has made major gains to place itself among or ahead the most reliable Japanese brands. CR reports that 90 percent of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products scored average or better reliability, and important models like the mid-size Fusion scored above the Honda Accord (HMC: Charts, News, Offers) and Toyota Camry (TM: Charts, News, Offers). Not all was rosy for FoMoCo, however, as all-wheel-drive versions of the Lincoln MKS, MKX and MKZ all scored below average in reliability. General Motors had 20 of 48 models score average reliability, while Chrysler saw one-third of its models place below average. The Asian brands, meanwhile, are still the standard bearer for reliability. (Source: Autoblog) Click here to read the full article

U.S. Steel, AK Steel Decline on Results, Forecasts
U.S. Steel Corp. (X: Charts, News, Offers) and AK Steel Holding Corp. (AKS: Charts, News, Offers) fell in New York trading after reporting lower third-quarter results and offering fourth-quarter outlooks that were below analysts’ expectations. U.S. Steel tumbled $3.17, or 7.8 percent, to $37.41 at 4:15 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading, the biggest decline since Aug. 17. AK Steel fell $1.61, or 8.6 percent, to $17.18, the most since June 22. The deepest U.S. recession in seven decades has cut demand for the metal used in construction and manufacturing. U.S. Steel, the largest U.S.-based steelmaker, today posted its third-consecutive quarterly loss and forecast another loss for the current period. AK Steel, the fourth-largest producer, reported third-quarter profit that fell 97 percent and said its average selling price will drop 2 percent in the fourth quarter. (Source: Bloomberg) Click here to read the full article

Exxon’s Delicate Condition
Exxon Mobil (XOM: Charts, News, Offers) finds itself in ticklish circumstances that go well beyond the issue of the impact that sharply reduced crude prices had on its bottom line. The oil giant faced a big hangover with a comparison to last year’s third-quarter profit of nearly $15 billion - still a record for any one-quarter profit performance - and it’s a test that it failed when profit declines amounted to more than analysts had been anticipating. Net fell more than two-thirds - steeper than had been expected - to $4.7 billion, and EPS of 98 cents missed targets of $1.03, even though analysts were factoring in the decline in crude prices from the average of $118 a barrel in last year’s third quarter to $68 a barrel in this year’s. As expected, that resulted in a loss for its refining business. Exxon’s bigger short-coming may be in the stubbornness with which it has clung to its spending program, and the limits that might prevail upon its ability to return money to shareholders. (Source: Barron's) Click here to read the full article

Technology Focus
Why is the Wii wilting?
Nintendo's Wii has been one of the most profitable games consoles ever sold, and after its launch in 2006, Nintendo took months to satisfy pent-up demand. This enabled the company to charge a premium price for its hardware and make large profits while rivals such as Sony (SNE: Charts, News, Offers) and Microsoft (MSFT: Charts, News, Offers) were losing money on every machine they sold. Traditionally, manufacturers lose money on early sales in order to create a large fanbase. They make it back through sales of high-priced games and, later, on the consoles themselves, thanks to high-volume manufacturing and reducing the cost of the parts. In the early days, Nintendo gained an extra benefit as the main - almost the only - supplier of Wii games. Third-party software developers such as EA had not expected the machine to be such a success and had not planned many games for it. (Source: guardian.co.uk) Click here to read the full article

Sprint loses nearly half a billion dollars in third quarter
Subscribers continued to leave Sprint Nextel Corp. (S: Charts, News, Offers) during the third quarter, taking a toll on revenue and yielding a $478 million loss, the wireless carrier said Thursday. In a release before the market opened on Thursday, Overland Park, Kan.-based Sprint reported a loss for the three months that ended Sept. 30 that amounted to 17 cents a share. It compared with a loss of $326 million, or 11 cents a share, during the same period in 2008. Twenty-one analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters First Call reported a consensus estimate for a loss of 15 cents a share for the quarter. Sprint’s net operating revenue for the quarter was $8.04 billion, down 9 percent from $8.82 billion last year. (Source: Bizjournals) Click here to read the full article

Sony's Outlook Brightens
Sony’s (SNE: Charts, News, Offers) future is looking a bit brighter. The company said today that it now expects an operating loss of $655 million (60 billion yen) rather than $1.2 billion (110 billion yen). This despite an operating loss of $356 million (32.6 billion yen) in the July-September quarter, from a profit of $120 million (11.05 billion yen) a year ago. Many analysts had expected Sony to post a bigger loss. Still, Sony has a raft of problems to fix. Its mobile phone joint venture with Sweden’s Ericsson (ERIC: Charts, News, Offers) is struggling in the smartphone market. And while the profitability of its gaming and TV businesses are improving, they are expected to continue losing money for some time. Chairman and CEO Howard Stringer plans to discuss Sony’s latest strategic plans at a press event in November. Here’s an excerpt of the Q&A part of today’s press conference with Sony’s CFO Nobuyuki Oneda. (Source: Business Week) Click here to read the full article

Your Money
Why we don't hate Wal-Mart anymore
It seems like only days ago that Wal-Mart (WMT: Charts, News, Offers) was the most evil company on the planet. The list of accusations: It locked workers in stores overnight and ignored overtime rules; it didn't give health-care benefits to a lot of workers; and its execs dreaded union organizers so much they actually shut down a store to avoid letting the labor guys in the front door. Equality for women employees? Forget about it. That was for East Coast, Hillary-loving wimps, or Wegman's, to worry about. And then there was the part about alleged sweatshops in China. (Sam Walton, back in the day, personally hired toddlers. Right?) And let's not forget the decimation of Main Street, USA. To be honest, even long-time Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500) admirers had to admit that some of this was true. The company was a bit evil. (Source: CNN Money) Click here to read the full article

Quiz: Think You Understand Markets? Prove it
Know your stocks from your bonds? Your shorts from your longs? Many investors claim to. Unfortunately, some of those investors don't live up to their expectations. How do you rate? We've selected some questions from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's test of investor knowledge. The organization maintains the quiz as part of its mission to promote investor education. See how you do. . . (Source: CNBC) Click here to read the full article


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Last Week
October 19-23



Copyright(c) 2009 by InvestorGuide.com. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Unauthorized duplication, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited.
]]> http://www.investorguide.com/weekly/weekly110209.html http://www.investorguide.com/weekly/weekly110209.html Monday, November 02 , 2009 Weekly Newsletter for Monday, October 26 , 2009 IG logo

Market Overview
DJIA 9,972.18 -23.73
S&P 1,079.60 -8.08
NYSE 7,066.80 -67.16
NASDAQ 2,154.47 -2.33
10Yr 3.475% +0.06
Dollar 75.6 -0.17
More market statistics

Weekly Wrap Up
The markets were unable to maintain their momentum last week. After two weeks of gains, and with the Dow periodically hovering around and above the 10,000 level, there just wasn't enough good news this week to continue the trend. The week was nothing short of a roller-coaster ride, as the major indices continued their upward trend on Monday, only to fall the next two days, rise once again on Thursday, then fall back down on Friday. The net change was a minor loss, with the Dow slipping 23 points, and the Nasdaq losing only 2 points. The Dow Jones managed to close above the 10,000 three days last week, but ended the week at 9,972. Most of the week's economic chatter focused on the housing market. On Monday, the homebuilder confidence index fell, as the end of the first-time homebuyers credit draws near. On Tuesday, new home construction was reported to have risen less than anticipated. At the end of the week, we had nest that, home prices continued to fall in August, and existing home sales climbed in September, as individuals cashed in on the homebuyers credit. The other economic news drawing the market down was a continued jump in unemployment rates. In corporate news, the earnings season continued, with many companies reporting results. Companies doing better than expected included Hasbro (HAS: Charts, News, Offers), Apple (AAPL: Charts, News, Offers), McDonalds (MCD: Charts, News, Offers), and American Express (AXP: Charts, News, Offers), while disappointing news came from Coca-Cola (KO: Charts, News, Offers) and Boeing (BA: Charts, News, Offers). Many companies also reported significant job cuts, including Sherwin-Williams (SHW: Charts, News, Offers), Pfizer (PFE: Charts, News, Offers), and Yahoo (YHOO: Charts, News, Offers). Crude oil futures ended the week at $80.72 per barrel, for a weekly increase of $2.19 per barrel. More Market News

Economic News
Have We Really Hit The Bottom Of The Real Estate Housing Market?
Everyone's so anxious to call the "bottom" of the real estate housing crisis. Why? There's no accolade for being right. It’s not as if we're going to see a 65 percent surge in housing prices over the next six months (and watch out for that kind of momentum in the stock market - it just feels wrong when the real unemployment rate is approaching 16 percent nationally). All there is at the bottom of the real estate housing market is pain for millions of homeowners who have lost their homes to foreclosure, even as they've lost their jobs and whatever few thousand bucks they had left in their 401(k)s. And for those who are still in their homes, their net worth has fallen as their home prices have dropped 30 to 40 percent. (Source: CBS MoneyWatch) Click here to read the full article

Will Holiday Shoppers Be Merry or Miserly?
For retailers and consumer-focused businesses, it's now time for what Mattel (MAT: Charts, News, Offers) Chief Executive and Chairman Robert Eckert calls "the early fall jitters." The 2009 holiday season is approaching quickly, and with nearly 1 in 10 Americans officially out of work there are plenty of reasons to be worried. As merchandise is being shipped to them, stores have no guarantee that shoppers will show up to buy. Fears are heightened by memories of last year's disastrous fourth quarter. "We're coming off probably the worst holiday season in memory," says Doug Hart, a partner in the retail practice at BDO Seidman, an accounting and financial services firm. Holiday retail sales dropped 3.8% last November and December, reflecting consumer panic as the U.S. navigated through an unprecedented financial crisis. (Source: BusinessWeek) Click here to read the full article

Recovery gains momentum with sixth straight increase in leading indicators
More evidence that the U.S. economy is on a GDP growth track: the Index of Leading Economic Indicators jumped 1.0 percent in September, The Conference Board announced Thursday -- its sixth straight monthly increase. Except for average workweek and building permits, all of the leading indicators contributed positively to the index in September. Ken Goldstein, economist for The Conference Board, said in a statement, "The LEI has risen for six consecutive months and the coincident economic index has increased in two of the last three months. These numbers strongly suggest that a recovery is developing. However, the intensity of that recovery will depend on how much, and how soon, demand picks up." (Source: Daily Finance) Click here to read the full article

Business News
Boeing Posts Wider Loss
Boeing (BA: Charts, News, Offers) on Wednesday posted a larger-than-expected quarterly loss on costs related to its long-delayed 787 Dreamliner program, but the world's second-largest planemaker reaffirmed that the aircraft is on track to fly this year. The loss, combined with a lowered 2009 earnings outlook, sent shares down in early trading, although most of the details in the earnings statement had been previously publicized. "The surprise was they reiterated the (787) schedule," said Alex Hamilton, senior managing director at Jesup & Lamont. "I always look at these as opportunities to kind of reset the bar," Hamilton said. "I think there's a lot of scepticism growing on the street about their delivery schedule." (Source: The New York Times) Click here to read the full article

The New York Times to cut 100 newsroom jobs, or 8 percent, by year’s end
The New York Times (NYT: Charts, News, Offers) said Monday it will cut 100 newsroom jobs and an unspecified number elsewhere amid industrywide declines in advertising revenue. The Times will offer voluntary buyouts at first but will resort to layoffs if it cannot meet the targets. "I hope that won't happen, but it might," Executive Editor Bill Keller wrote in a memo to staff. The Times, flagship of The New York Times Co., cut its newsroom work force by 100 positions last year mostly through buyouts, but Keller said then that the newspaper had to make a "relatively small" number of involuntary cuts to meet that target. (Source: Breaking News 24/7) Click here to read the full article

Coca-Cola 3rd-quarter profit rises slightly
The Coca-Cola Co. (KO: Charts, News, Offers) said Tuesday its third-quarter profit inched higher, though sales fell as consumers continued to limit soft drink purchases and the stronger dollar took a toll on revenue. The world's biggest beverage maker said it earned $1.896 billion, or 81 cents per share, compared with $1.890 billion, or 81 cents per share, a year earlier. Results in the most recent quarter ended Oct. 2 included a 1-cent restructuring charge. Atlanta-based Coca-Cola said revenue slumped to $8.04 billion from $8.39 billion. Foreign currency exchange dragged down revenue by 6 percent. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters, who usually exclude one-time items from their estimates, forecast profit of 81 cents per share on revenue of $8.11 billion. Shares of Coca-Cola fell $1.14, or 2.1 percent, to $53.65 in morning trading Tuesday. (Source: Google News) Click here to read the full article

Technology Focus
Apple's profit climbs 47% in its 'most profitable quarter ever'
Apple Inc.'s (AAPL: Charts, News, Offers) fiscal fourth-quarter profit soared 47%, surprising Wall Street and providing perhaps the strongest signal yet that technology companies may be leading the economy out of the doldrums. Fueled by brisk back-to-school sales of its MacBook notebook computers and continued momentum of its popular iPhone, the Cupertino, Calif., company said it posted its "most profitable quarter ever." Its earnings of $1.67 billion far exceeded analysts' expectations and were another sign that the technology sector might be a bellwether for a larger recovery. Apple's results followed others in recent weeks that have beaten Wall Street's forecasts, including Google Inc. (GOOG: Charts, News, Offers) reporting Friday that its quarterly profit jumped 27%. (Source: Los Angeles Times) Click here to read the full article

Yahoo Profits are Symbol of Broken System Yahoo Profits are Symbol of Broken System
According to Tech Crunch, Internet giant Yahoo (YHOO: Charts, News, Offers) tripled its profits this quarter, boosting its income by $130 million. As a share holder, you'd be pretty pleased, and as part of management, the picture is decidedly better than it was last year when its share price plummeted after it rejected an offer from Microsoft (MSFT: Charts, News, Offers). However, if you worked for Yahoo, you probably lost your job. It turns out, Yahoo's profits are based almost entirely on the $169 million cost cutting measures it took (2400 workers were let go), while of course protecting corporate bonuses. (Source: The Huffington Post) Click here to read the full article

Nokia sues Apple for patent infringement
Nokia (NOK: Charts, News, Offers) is suing Apple (AAPL: Charts, News, Offers) over 10 patents the Finnish phone maker says it owns related to wireless handsets. The largest handset maker in the world is suing the maker of one of the most popular, the iPhone, because, according to a statement released by Nokia on Thursday, Apple has refused to license any of the patents in question. All iPhone models dating back to the original introduced in 2007 are infringing, according to Nokia. Nokia is asking the U.S. District Court in Delaware for an injunction on sales of iPhones and for unspecified damages. "The basic principle in the mobile industry is that those companies who contribute in technology development to establish standards create intellectual property, which others then need to compensate for," said Ilkka Rahnasto, vice president, legal and intellectual property at Nokia. "Apple is also expected to follow this principle. By refusing to agree to appropriate terms for Nokia's intellectual property, Apple is attempting to get a free ride on the back of Nokia's innovation." (Source: CNET News) Click here to read the full article

Your Money
Why You Should Keep Contributing to Your 401k
With the way the market is behaving, you may be tempted to pull money out of your 401(k) right now or greatly reduce your contributions. When you see your 401k continue to drop even though your adding money every paycheck, it may feel as if you are just throwing money away. If you're considering stopping to contribute to your 401k, please reconsider it. Don't stop saving for retirement. Even if you think you're wealthy enough to forego putting money in your 401(k), you could end up seriously shortchanging your retirement savings potential by reducing your retirement plan balance or elective salary deferrals. (Source: Good Financial Cents) Click here to read the full article

Should you sell home without agent?
In today's tough housing market, some sellers are looking to cut costs by selling their property without using a real estate agent. Sellers who skip the listing agent and offer their home as a "for sale by owner" -- or FSBO (pronounced FIZZ-bo) -- have the potential to save thousands of dollars in agent's fees, says Piper Nichole, author of "The For Sale By Owner Handbook." But FSBO sellers should be prepared to do a lot of legwork to manage the sales process, with no guarantee of a final sale, she says. Here are five questions experts say homeowners should ask themselves before selling a home on their own. (Source: Bankrate) Click here to read the full article


Visit the Weekly Newsletter archives here

Last Week
October 12-16



Copyright(c) 2009 by InvestorGuide.com. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Unauthorized duplication, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited.
]]> IG logo

Market Overview
DJIA 9,972.18 -23.73
S&P 1,079.60 -8.08
NYSE 7,066.80 -67.16
NASDAQ 2,154.47 -2.33
10Yr 3.475% +0.06
Dollar 75.6 -0.17
More market statistics

Weekly Wrap Up
The markets were unable to maintain their momentum last week. After two weeks of gains, and with the Dow periodically hovering around and above the 10,000 level, there just wasn't enough good news this week to continue the trend. The week was nothing short of a roller-coaster ride, as the major indices continued their upward trend on Monday, only to fall the next two days, rise once again on Thursday, then fall back down on Friday. The net change was a minor loss, with the Dow slipping 23 points, and the Nasdaq losing only 2 points. The Dow Jones managed to close above the 10,000 three days last week, but ended the week at 9,972. Most of the week's economic chatter focused on the housing market. On Monday, the homebuilder confidence index fell, as the end of the first-time homebuyers credit draws near. On Tuesday, new home construction was reported to have risen less than anticipated. At the end of the week, we had nest that, home prices continued to fall in August, and existing home sales climbed in September, as individuals cashed in on the homebuyers credit. The other economic news drawing the market down was a continued jump in unemployment rates. In corporate news, the earnings season continued, with many companies reporting results. Companies doing better than expected included Hasbro (HAS: Charts, News, Offers), Apple (AAPL: Charts, News, Offers), McDonalds (MCD: Charts, News, Offers), and American Express (AXP: Charts, News, Offers), while disappointing news came from Coca-Cola (KO: Charts, News, Offers) and Boeing (BA: Charts, News, Offers). Many companies also reported significant job cuts, including Sherwin-Williams (SHW: Charts, News, Offers), Pfizer (PFE: Charts, News, Offers), and Yahoo (YHOO: Charts, News, Offers). Crude oil futures ended the week at $80.72 per barrel, for a weekly increase of $2.19 per barrel. More Market News

Economic News
Have We Really Hit The Bottom Of The Real Estate Housing Market?
Everyone's so anxious to call the "bottom" of the real estate housing crisis. Why? There's no accolade for being right. It’s not as if we're going to see a 65 percent surge in housing prices over the next six months (and watch out for that kind of momentum in the stock market - it just feels wrong when the real unemployment rate is approaching 16 percent nationally). All there is at the bottom of the real estate housing market is pain for millions of homeowners who have lost their homes to foreclosure, even as they've lost their jobs and whatever few thousand bucks they had left in their 401(k)s. And for those who are still in their homes, their net worth has fallen as their home prices have dropped 30 to 40 percent. (Source: CBS MoneyWatch) Click here to read the full article

Will Holiday Shoppers Be Merry or Miserly?
For retailers and consumer-focused businesses, it's now time for what Mattel (MAT: Charts, News, Offers) Chief Executive and Chairman Robert Eckert calls "the early fall jitters." The 2009 holiday season is approaching quickly, and with nearly 1 in 10 Americans officially out of work there are plenty of reasons to be worried. As merchandise is being shipped to them, stores have no guarantee that shoppers will show up to buy. Fears are heightened by memories of last year's disastrous fourth quarter. "We're coming off probably the worst holiday season in memory," says Doug Hart, a partner in the retail practice at BDO Seidman, an accounting and financial services firm. Holiday retail sales dropped 3.8% last November and December, reflecting consumer panic as the U.S. navigated through an unprecedented financial crisis. (Source: BusinessWeek) Click here to read the full article

Recovery gains momentum with sixth straight increase in leading indicators
More evidence that the U.S. economy is on a GDP growth track: the Index of Leading Economic Indicators jumped 1.0 percent in September, The Conference Board announced Thursday -- its sixth straight monthly increase. Except for average workweek and building permits, all of the leading indicators contributed positively to the index in September. Ken Goldstein, economist for The Conference Board, said in a statement, "The LEI has risen for six consecutive months and the coincident economic index has increased in two of the last three months. These numbers strongly suggest that a recovery is developing. However, the intensity of that recovery will depend on how much, and how soon, demand picks up." (Source: Daily Finance) Click here to read the full article

Business News
Boeing Posts Wider Loss
Boeing (BA: Charts, News, Offers) on Wednesday posted a larger-than-expected quarterly loss on costs related to its long-delayed 787 Dreamliner program, but the world's second-largest planemaker reaffirmed that the aircraft is on track to fly this year. The loss, combined with a lowered 2009 earnings outlook, sent shares down in early trading, although most of the details in the earnings statement had been previously publicized. "The surprise was they reiterated the (787) schedule," said Alex Hamilton, senior managing director at Jesup & Lamont. "I always look at these as opportunities to kind of reset the bar," Hamilton said. "I think there's a lot of scepticism growing on the street about their delivery schedule." (Source: The New York Times) Click here to read the full article

The New York Times to cut 100 newsroom jobs, or 8 percent, by year’s end
The New York Times (NYT: Charts, News, Offers) said Monday it will cut 100 newsroom jobs and an unspecified number elsewhere amid industrywide declines in advertising revenue. The Times will offer voluntary buyouts at first but will resort to layoffs if it cannot meet the targets. "I hope that won't happen, but it might," Executive Editor Bill Keller wrote in a memo to staff. The Times, flagship of The New York Times Co., cut its newsroom work force by 100 positions last year mostly through buyouts, but Keller said then that the newspaper had to make a "relatively small" number of involuntary cuts to meet that target. (Source: Breaking News 24/7) Click here to read the full article

Coca-Cola 3rd-quarter profit rises slightly
The Coca-Cola Co. (KO: Charts, News, Offers) said Tuesday its third-quarter profit inched higher, though sales fell as consumers continued to limit soft drink purchases and the stronger dollar took a toll on revenue. The world's biggest beverage maker said it earned $1.896 billion, or 81 cents per share, compared with $1.890 billion, or 81 cents per share, a year earlier. Results in the most recent quarter ended Oct. 2 included a 1-cent restructuring charge. Atlanta-based Coca-Cola said revenue slumped to $8.04 billion from $8.39 billion. Foreign currency exchange dragged down revenue by 6 percent. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters, who usually exclude one-time items from their estimates, forecast profit of 81 cents per share on revenue of $8.11 billion. Shares of Coca-Cola fell $1.14, or 2.1 percent, to $53.65 in morning trading Tuesday. (Source: Google News) Click here to read the full article

Technology Focus
Apple's profit climbs 47% in its 'most profitable quarter ever'
Apple Inc.'s (AAPL: Charts, News, Offers) fiscal fourth-quarter profit soared 47%, surprising Wall Street and providing perhaps the strongest signal yet that technology companies may be leading the economy out of the doldrums. Fueled by brisk back-to-school sales of its MacBook notebook computers and continued momentum of its popular iPhone, the Cupertino, Calif., company said it posted its "most profitable quarter ever." Its earnings of $1.67 billion far exceeded analysts' expectations and were another sign that the technology sector might be a bellwether for a larger recovery. Apple's results followed others in recent weeks that have beaten Wall Street's forecasts, including Google Inc. (GOOG: Charts, News, Offers) reporting Friday that its quarterly profit jumped 27%. (Source: Los Angeles Times) Click here to read the full article

Yahoo Profits are Symbol of Broken System Yahoo Profits are Symbol of Broken System
According to Tech Crunch, Internet giant Yahoo (YHOO: Charts, News, Offers) tripled its profits this quarter, boosting its income by $130 million. As a share holder, you'd be pretty pleased, and as part of management, the picture is decidedly better than it was last year when its share price plummeted after it rejected an offer from Microsoft (MSFT: Charts, News, Offers). However, if you worked for Yahoo, you probably lost your job. It turns out, Yahoo's profits are based almost entirely on the $169 million cost cutting measures it took (2400 workers were let go), while of course protecting corporate bonuses. (Source: The Huffington Post) Click here to read the full article

Nokia sues Apple for patent infringement
Nokia (NOK: Charts, News, Offers) is suing Apple (AAPL: Charts, News, Offers) over 10 patents the Finnish phone maker says it owns related to wireless handsets. The largest handset maker in the world is suing the maker of one of the most popular, the iPhone, because, according to a statement released by Nokia on Thursday, Apple has refused to license any of the patents in question. All iPhone models dating back to the original introduced in 2007 are infringing, according to Nokia. Nokia is asking the U.S. District Court in Delaware for an injunction on sales of iPhones and for unspecified damages. "The basic principle in the mobile industry is that those companies who contribute in technology development to establish standards create intellectual property, which others then need to compensate for," said Ilkka Rahnasto, vice president, legal and intellectual property at Nokia. "Apple is also expected to follow this principle. By refusing to agree to appropriate terms for Nokia's intellectual property, Apple is attempting to get a free ride on the back of Nokia's innovation." (Source: CNET News) Click here to read the full article

Your Money
Why You Should Keep Contributing to Your 401k
With the way the market is behaving, you may be tempted to pull money out of your 401(k) right now or greatly reduce your contributions. When you see your 401k continue to drop even though your adding money every paycheck, it may feel as if you are just throwing money away. If you're considering stopping to contribute to your 401k, please reconsider it. Don't stop saving for retirement. Even if you think you're wealthy enough to forego putting money in your 401(k), you could end up seriously shortchanging your retirement savings potential by reducing your retirement plan balance or elective salary deferrals. (Source: Good Financial Cents) Click here to read the full article

Should you sell home without agent?
In today's tough housing market, some sellers are looking to cut costs by selling their property without using a real estate agent. Sellers who skip the listing agent and offer their home as a "for sale by owner" -- or FSBO (pronounced FIZZ-bo) -- have the potential to save thousands of dollars in agent's fees, says Piper Nichole, author of "The For Sale By Owner Handbook." But FSBO sellers should be prepared to do a lot of legwork to manage the sales process, with no guarantee of a final sale, she says. Here are five questions experts say homeowners should ask themselves before selling a home on their own. (Source: Bankrate) Click here to read the full article


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Last Week
October 12-16



Copyright(c) 2009 by InvestorGuide.com. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Unauthorized duplication, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited.
]]> http://www.investorguide.com/weekly/weekly102609.html http://www.investorguide.com/weekly/weekly102609.html Monday, October 26 , 2009 Weekly Newsletter for Monday, October 19 , 2009 IG logo

Market Overview
DJIA 9,995.91 +130.97
S&P 1,087.68 +16.19
NYSE 7,133.96 +118.42
NASDAQ 2,156.8 +17.52
10Yr 3.,417% +0.032
Dollar 75.576 -0.77
More market statistics

Weekly Wrap Up
The markets climbed higher into positive territory this week. The Dow Jones jumped up 30.97 points to 9,995.91 while the Nasdaq added 17.52 points to close at 2,156.80. The S&P 500 also gained 16.19 points and finished the week at 1,087.68. Monday was a relatively slow day for the markets. The Dow Jones and S&P 500 managed to close slightly higher for the session while the Nasdaq just barely dipped into negative territory. The tech sector saw some steep declines with its blue chip performers, particularly Cisco (CSCO: Charts, News, Offers), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ: Charts, News, Offers), and Dell (DELL: Charts, News, Offers). For the most part, stocks retreated into the red on Tuesday. Only the Nasdaq managed to gain any positive momentum as it erased Monday’s point drop. Health care stocks took hit after the Senate Finance Committee announced its approval of an $829 billion plan to revamp the US health care system. However, Domino's Pizza (DPZ: Charts, News, Offers) gave investors something to cheer about. The pizza delivery chain reported a 77 percent increase in profits for the quarter due to extensive cost cutting efforts. Wednesday marked a triumphant time for the Dow Jones as it surpassed the 10,000 point ceiling for the first time in over a year. Intel (INTC: Charts, News, Offers) did its part in driving the Nasdaq over the 10,000 point hurdle with its better-than-expected third-quarter profit numbers. The markets continued to climbed throughout Thursday’s trading. Citigroup (C: Charts, News, Offers) and Goldman Sachs (GS: Charts, News, Offers) both beat out Wall Street expectations with their earnings reports. Unfortunately, Southwest Airlines (LUV: Charts, News, Offers) did not fare as well. The airline posted a $16 million loss for the third-quarter. The market’s mid-week momentum was eventually halted on Friday. General Electric (GE: Charts, News, Offers) and Bank of America (BAC: Charts, News, Offers) posted lackluster quarter reports which seemed to temper market trading. Mattel (MAT: Charts, News, Offers) also added to the bad news. The largest toy maker reported a 3.5 percent dip in third quarter profits due to declining sales from its cash cow toy, Barbie. Despite Friday’s drop off in performance, the Dow, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 all finished the week in positive territory. The November delivery closed at $78.53 per barrel this week, resulting in a $6.76 increase. The price of gold settled at $1050.70 for the week. More Market News

Economic News
Recession May Be Over, but Recovery is Painful
Survey of top economists by National Association of Business Economics finds more than 80% believe the worst is over, but recovery will be slow and painful. More than 80% of top economists believe that the recession that started almost two years ago is finally over. But most don't expect meaningful improvement in jobs, credit or housing for months to come.That's according to a survey released Monday by the National Association for Business Economics (NABE). The group asked 43 top economists last month if they believe the battered U.S. economy has pulled out of the worst U.S. downturn since World War II. Those surveyed include economists from leading Wall Street firms and major corporations, as well as from highly respected universities and research firms. (Source: CNN Money) Click here to read the full article

U.S. Economy: Retail Sales Fall Less Than Forecast
Sales at U.S. retailers fell less than forecast in September after the Obama administration's cash-for-clunkers program expired, signaling consumers are gaining confidence in the outlook for an economic recovery. The 1.5 percent decrease followed a 2.2 percent gain the prior month, figures from the Commerce Department showed today in Washington. Sales excluding automobiles climbed 0.5 percent, more than projected. Gains in prices of goods imported into the U.S. slowed last month, a separate report showed. (Source: Bloomberg) Click here to read the full article

Tepid Consumer Sentiment Remains Hurdle for Economy
It was a pretty good week for the U.S. economy: initial reports on third quarter corporate earnings were mostly satisfactory, jobless claims continued to decline, and factory production increased. One metric that underperformed, however, was consumer sentiment, which fell unexpectedly. The Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers said its consumer sentiment index for October (preliminary) fell to 69.4 from 73.5 in September, Reuters reported Friday. The index was at 65.7 in August. The index hit a cycle low of 55.3 in November 2008; its record low of 51.7 was set in May 1980. (Source: DailyFinance) Click here to read the full article

Business News
More Troubles At KB Home
Big builder KB Home (KBH: Charts, News, Offers) revealed in a Securities Exchange Commission filing that the federal regulator is examining the company's accounting. The stock fell about 6% today. The filing doesn’t offer much information. A spokesperson says: "KB Home strives to operate its business with the utmost transparency and integrity, and in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. While the SEC has not specified the subject matter and we cannot speculate on it at this time, we understand that part of the SEC's mandate is to conduct these sorts of investigations, which it has done with hundreds of public companies over the past few years." KB is still dealing with the legal fallout of some of its previous business practices. In 2006, then ceo Bruce Karatz resigned in a scandal involving the back dating of stock options. He later paid $7 million to settle charges with the SEC, but the company is still wrestling with shareholder suits regarding the matter. In 2005, KB paid $3.2 million to settle complaints its mortgage unit was qualifying buyers for government loans who didn’t meet the criteria. (Source: Businessweek) Click here to read the full article

Ads Drive Google's Profit Way Up
Google Inc. (GOOG: Charts, News, Offers) reported third-quarter results that easily topped expectations on Thursday, the second straight period of gains for the online search titan and a clear sign that Internet advertising is bouncing back from the depths of the recession. As the dominant Internet player, the Mountain View company's performance is widely viewed as a gauge of the online industry's overall strength. "We believe the worst of the recession is behind us," said Eric Schmidt, the company's chief executive, during an investor conference call. "We're very optimistic now about the future. We now have the business confidence to invest heavily in the next phase of innovation, hoping to invent the future as we see it." (Source: San Francisco Chronicle) Click here to read the full article

Nokia Q3 Earnings Drop
It held its global lead in the handset market, but problems in the Nokia Siemens Networks unit hurt the company's latest earnings report. Nokia (NOK: Charts, News, Offers) reported a surprise third quarter loss of $836 million Thursday, traced primarily to a big write-off in its Nokia Siemens Networks unit. In addition Nokia reported declining sales of its mobile phones. The surprise size of the loss sent Nokia's shares tumbling 10% in early stock market trading. There was some faint good news, however, as Nokia said it maintained its handset market share lead with 38% share of the global market. Nokia reported revenues of $14.7 billion, a drop from the $18.2 billion reported in the previous quarter. The Nokia Siemens Networks unit recorded a $1.36 billion loss in the recent quarter. (Source: Information Week) Click here to read the full article

Technology Focus
YouTube Monetizing Over A Billion Video Views A Week
YouTube is on the path to profitability in the "not-too-distant future," Google reiterated today during its third quarter earnings call. And while that may sounds all well and good, they actually had some more specific impressive numbers to back it up. One is that YouTube is now monetizing over a billion video views a week. Last week, YouTube announced that it was serving over 1 billion video views a day, so if you do the math there, it means that YouTube is monetizing one every seven video views. The company also noted that 90% of the top 50 advertisers according to AdAge have now run ads on YouTube. And of its homepage ad inventory, 90% of it sold out for the quarter in the U.S., with lower, but still impressive sale rates for the rest of the world. Google also noted that YouTube was just starting to unleash its pre-roll inventory and let its salesforce have a go at selling that to advertisers, which should bring in more money. (Source: TechCrunch) Click here to read the full article

Nokia, AT&T Offer $299 Booklet 3G
AT&T will subsidize the cost of the mini-laptop for users who sign up for a two-year data contract; without a commitment the price is $599. AT&T (T: Charts, News, Offers) is partnering with mobile phone giant Nokia (NOK: Charts, News, Offers) on its venture into laptops. Mobile professionals will be able to purchase Nokia's Booklet 3G for $299 with a two-year mobile data plan commitment. The Booklet 3G will be available exclusively in Best Buy (BBY: Charts, News, Offers) stores throughout the holiday retail season, and users will be able to buy the mini-laptop without a data commitment for $599. The Booklet 3G is powered by the Intel (INTC: Charts, News, Offers) Atom processor, has a chassis made from a single piece of aluminum, and will run its operating system is Microsoft (MSFT: Charts, News, Offers) Windows 7. (Source: Information Week) Click here to read the full article

AMD Shares Fall on Weaker 4Q Revenue Outlook
Shares of chip maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc.(AMD: Charts, News, Offers) fell Friday after paring its revenue outlook for the fourth quarter. Sunnyvale, Calif.-based AMD said it expects revenue to increase by 5 to 7 percent in the quarter from the third quarter. It typically sees a 9 percent sequential increase. AMD disclosed the forecast during its third-quarter earnings report Thursday. The company posted a loss of $128 million, or 18 cents per share, smaller than its year-ago loss. Operating income increased to $76 million from $48 million last year. Revenue fell 22 percent to $1.4 billion but still beat analysts' expectations, driven by a strong back-to-school season. (Source: Forbes) Click here to read the full article

Cisco Bid Snubbed by Large Tandberg Shareholder
Investors holding 24 percent of shares in videoconferencing group Tandberg snubbed a $3 billion bid from Cisco Systems (CSCO: Charts, News, Offers), raising prospects of a higher offer from the U.S. network equipment maker. "We think the price is too low," said Amund Lunde, chief executive of life insurance group Oslo Pensjonsforsikring, a shareholder with 1 percent of Tandberg's stock and among the group of shareholders that have turned Cisco down. He declined to suggest a price the group might accept. Cisco, which needs acceptances from holders of at least 90 percent of Tandberg stock to fully acquire the company, made its 153.50 crowns per share move for the Norwegian company in October in a bid to dominate the fast-growing corporate video communications market. (Source: CNBC) Click here to read the full article


Visit the Weekly Newsletter archives here

Last Week
October 5-9



Copyright(c) 2009 by InvestorGuide.com. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Unauthorized duplication, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited.
]]> IG logo

Market Overview
DJIA 9,995.91 +130.97
S&P 1,087.68 +16.19
NYSE 7,133.96 +118.42
NASDAQ 2,156.8 +17.52
10Yr 3.,417% +0.032
Dollar 75.576 -0.77
More market statistics

Weekly Wrap Up
The markets climbed higher into positive territory this week. The Dow Jones jumped up 30.97 points to 9,995.91 while the Nasdaq added 17.52 points to close at 2,156.80. The S&P 500 also gained 16.19 points and finished the week at 1,087.68. Monday was a relatively slow day for the markets. The Dow Jones and S&P 500 managed to close slightly higher for the session while the Nasdaq just barely dipped into negative territory. The tech sector saw some steep declines with its blue chip performers, particularly Cisco (CSCO: Charts, News, Offers), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ: Charts, News, Offers), and Dell (DELL: Charts, News, Offers). For the most part, stocks retreated into the red on Tuesday. Only the Nasdaq managed to gain any positive momentum as it erased Monday’s point drop. Health care stocks took hit after the Senate Finance Committee announced its approval of an $829 billion plan to revamp the US health care system. However, Domino's Pizza (DPZ: Charts, News, Offers) gave investors something to cheer about. The pizza delivery chain reported a 77 percent increase in profits for the quarter due to extensive cost cutting efforts. Wednesday marked a triumphant time for the Dow Jones as it surpassed the 10,000 point ceiling for the first time in over a year. Intel (INTC: Charts, News, Offers) did its part in driving the Nasdaq over the 10,000 point hurdle with its better-than-expected third-quarter profit numbers. The markets continued to climbed throughout Thursday’s trading. Citigroup (C: Charts, News, Offers) and Goldman Sachs (GS: Charts, News, Offers) both beat out Wall Street expectations with their earnings reports. Unfortunately, Southwest Airlines (LUV: Charts, News, Offers) did not fare as well. The airline posted a $16 million loss for the third-quarter. The market’s mid-week momentum was eventually halted on Friday. General Electric (GE: Charts, News, Offers) and Bank of America (BAC: Charts, News, Offers) posted lackluster quarter reports which seemed to temper market trading. Mattel (MAT: Charts, News, Offers) also added to the bad news. The largest toy maker reported a 3.5 percent dip in third quarter profits due to declining sales from its cash cow toy, Barbie. Despite Friday’s drop off in performance, the Dow, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 all finished the week in positive territory. The November delivery closed at $78.53 per barrel this week, resulting in a $6.76 increase. The price of gold settled at $1050.70 for the week. More Market News

Economic News
Recession May Be Over, but Recovery is Painful
Survey of top economists by National Association of Business Economics finds more than 80% believe the worst is over, but recovery will be slow and painful. More than 80% of top economists believe that the recession that started almost two years ago is finally over. But most don't expect meaningful improvement in jobs, credit or housing for months to come.That's according to a survey released Monday by the National Association for Business Economics (NABE). The group asked 43 top economists last month if they believe the battered U.S. economy has pulled out of the worst U.S. downturn since World War II. Those surveyed include economists from leading Wall Street firms and major corporations, as well as from highly respected universities and research firms. (Source: CNN Money) Click here to read the full article

U.S. Economy: Retail Sales Fall Less Than Forecast
Sales at U.S. retailers fell less than forecast in September after the Obama administration's cash-for-clunkers program expired, signaling consumers are gaining confidence in the outlook for an economic recovery. The 1.5 percent decrease followed a 2.2 percent gain the prior month, figures from the Commerce Department showed today in Washington. Sales excluding automobiles climbed 0.5 percent, more than projected. Gains in prices of goods imported into the U.S. slowed last month, a separate report showed. (Source: Bloomberg) Click here to read the full article

Tepid Consumer Sentiment Remains Hurdle for Economy
It was a pretty good week for the U.S. economy: initial reports on third quarter corporate earnings were mostly satisfactory, jobless claims continued to decline, and factory production increased. One metric that underperformed, however, was consumer sentiment, which fell unexpectedly. The Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers said its consumer sentiment index for October (preliminary) fell to 69.4 from 73.5 in September, Reuters reported Friday. The index was at 65.7 in August. The index hit a cycle low of 55.3 in November 2008; its record low of 51.7 was set in May 1980. (Source: DailyFinance) Click here to read the full article

Business News
More Troubles At KB Home
Big builder KB Home (KBH: Charts, News, Offers) revealed in a Securities Exchange Commission filing that the federal regulator is examining the company's accounting. The stock fell about 6% today. The filing doesn’t offer much information. A spokesperson says: "KB Home strives to operate its business with the utmost transparency and integrity, and in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. While the SEC has not specified the subject matter and we cannot speculate on it at this time, we understand that part of the SEC's mandate is to conduct these sorts of investigations, which it has done with hundreds of public companies over the past few years." KB is still dealing with the legal fallout of some of its previous business practices. In 2006, then ceo Bruce Karatz resigned in a scandal involving the back dating of stock options. He later paid $7 million to settle charges with the SEC, but the company is still wrestling with shareholder suits regarding the matter. In 2005, KB paid $3.2 million to settle complaints its mortgage unit was qualifying buyers for government loans who didn’t meet the criteria. (Source: Businessweek) Click here to read the full article

Ads Drive Google's Profit Way Up
Google Inc. (GOOG: Charts, News, Offers) reported third-quarter results that easily topped expectations on Thursday, the second straight period of gains for the online search titan and a clear sign that Internet advertising is bouncing back from the depths of the recession. As the dominant Internet player, the Mountain View company's performance is widely viewed as a gauge of the online industry's overall strength. "We believe the worst of the recession is behind us," said Eric Schmidt, the company's chief executive, during an investor conference call. "We're very optimistic now about the future. We now have the business confidence to invest heavily in the next phase of innovation, hoping to invent the future as we see it." (Source: San Francisco Chronicle) Click here to read the full article

Nokia Q3 Earnings Drop
It held its global lead in the handset market, but problems in the Nokia Siemens Networks unit hurt the company's latest earnings report. Nokia (NOK: Charts, News, Offers) reported a surprise third quarter loss of $836 million Thursday, traced primarily to a big write-off in its Nokia Siemens Networks unit. In addition Nokia reported declining sales of its mobile phones. The surprise size of the loss sent Nokia's shares tumbling 10% in early stock market trading. There was some faint good news, however, as Nokia said it maintained its handset market share lead with 38% share of the global market. Nokia reported revenues of $14.7 billion, a drop from the $18.2 billion reported in the previous quarter. The Nokia Siemens Networks unit recorded a $1.36 billion loss in the recent quarter. (Source: Information Week) Click here to read the full article

Technology Focus
YouTube Monetizing Over A Billion Video Views A Week
YouTube is on the path to profitability in the "not-too-distant future," Google reiterated today during its third quarter earnings call. And while that may sounds all well and good, they actually had some more specific impressive numbers to back it up. One is that YouTube is now monetizing over a billion video views a week. Last week, YouTube announced that it was serving over 1 billion video views a day, so if you do the math there, it means that YouTube is monetizing one every seven video views. The company also noted that 90% of the top 50 advertisers according to AdAge have now run ads on YouTube. And of its homepage ad inventory, 90% of it sold out for the quarter in the U.S., with lower, but still impressive sale rates for the rest of the world. Google also noted that YouTube was just starting to unleash its pre-roll inventory and let its salesforce have a go at selling that to advertisers, which should bring in more money. (Source: TechCrunch) Click here to read the full article

Nokia, AT&T Offer $299 Booklet 3G
AT&T will subsidize the cost of the mini-laptop for users who sign up for a two-year data contract; without a commitment the price is $599. AT&T (T: Charts, News, Offers) is partnering with mobile phone giant Nokia (NOK: Charts, News, Offers) on its venture into laptops. Mobile professionals will be able to purchase Nokia's Booklet 3G for $299 with a two-year mobile data plan commitment. The Booklet 3G will be available exclusively in Best Buy (BBY: Charts, News, Offers) stores throughout the holiday retail season, and users will be able to buy the mini-laptop without a data commitment for $599. The Booklet 3G is powered by the Intel (INTC: Charts, News, Offers) Atom processor, has a chassis made from a single piece of aluminum, and will run its operating system is Microsoft (MSFT: Charts, News, Offers) Windows 7. (Source: Information Week) Click here to read the full article

AMD Shares Fall on Weaker 4Q Revenue Outlook
Shares of chip maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc.(AMD: Charts, News, Offers) fell Friday after paring its revenue outlook for the fourth quarter. Sunnyvale, Calif.-based AMD said it expects revenue to increase by 5 to 7 percent in the quarter from the third quarter. It typically sees a 9 percent sequential increase. AMD disclosed the forecast during its third-quarter earnings report Thursday. The company posted a loss of $128 million, or 18 cents per share, smaller than its year-ago loss. Operating income increased to $76 million from $48 million last year. Revenue fell 22 percent to $1.4 billion but still beat analysts' expectations, driven by a strong back-to-school season. (Source: Forbes) Click here to read the full article

Cisco Bid Snubbed by Large Tandberg Shareholder
Investors holding 24 percent of shares in videoconferencing group Tandberg snubbed a $3 billion bid from Cisco Systems (CSCO: Charts, News, Offers), raising prospects of a higher offer from the U.S. network equipment maker. "We think the price is too low," said Amund Lunde, chief executive of life insurance group Oslo Pensjonsforsikring, a shareholder with 1 percent of Tandberg's stock and among the group of shareholders that have turned Cisco down. He declined to suggest a price the group might accept. Cisco, which needs acceptances from holders of at least 90 percent of Tandberg stock to fully acquire the company, made its 153.50 crowns per share move for the Norwegian company in October in a bid to dominate the fast-growing corporate video communications market. (Source: CNBC) Click here to read the full article


Visit the Weekly Newsletter archives here

Last Week
October 5-9



Copyright(c) 2009 by InvestorGuide.com. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Unauthorized duplication, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited.
]]> http://www.investorguide.com/weekly/weekly101909.html http://www.investorguide.com/weekly/weekly101909.html Monday, October 19 , 2009 Weekly Newsletter for Monday, October 12 , 2009 IG logo

Market Overview
DJIA 9,864.94 +377.27
S&P 1,071.49 +46.28
NYSE 7,015.54 +340.97
NASDAQ 2,139.28 +91.17
10Yr 3.384% +0.163
Dollar 76.62 -0.39
More market statistics

Weekly Wrap Up
After two lackluster weeks, equities were back in fashion last week with the blue chip DJIA gaining 3.98% and the broader S&P 500 putting on 4.5%. Traders looked past the mediocre economic data that had plagued the market up until last week and started anticipating a great earnings season (which officially started on Wednesday with Alcoa (AA: Charts, News, Offers) beating expectations by putting up a profit, but kicks into gear this week with the major banks due to report). Last time around, earnings, on average, beat on the back of cost-cutting. Now the market is looking for revenue growth and if top line numbers do not impress, a pullback in stocks is likely. Stocks were in the green for 4 out of the 5 trading sessions last week. An interest rate hike (by the Australians) was actually greeted by enthusiasm as some took it to be a sign that the global economy is returning to normal. Goldman upgraded the banking sector on Monday (a little late to the party, of course). AT&T (T: Charts, News, Offers) was a laggard after the company said it will allow internet phone applications to run on the iPhone (i.e. a major concession as these apps compete directly with AT&T's core business). The commercial paper market looks to be back in shape with $67.6 billion worth of issues. Initial jobless claims fell 33,000 to 521,000, i.e. their lowest level since January. The trade deficit numbers gave a boost to the markets as the deficit unexpectedly declined on the back of strong exports, no doubt driven by the weakening dollar. The greenback continued to lose ground with inflation looming on the horizon and not surprisingly, gold, the traditional safe haven, had its best week since April, gaining $44.60/ounce over the week to close at $1,047.80.

Looking forward, this week will see a slew of earnings reports with Johnson & Johnson (JNJ: Charts, News, Offers), Intel (INTC: Charts, News, Offers), CSX (CSX: Charts, News, Offers)( Tuesday), JP Morgan (JPM: Charts, News, Offers), Morgan Stanley(MS: Charts, News, Offers) (Wednesday) and Goldman (GS: Charts, News, Offers) and Google (GOOG: Charts, News, Offers)(Thursday) being some of the major names on deck. Wednesday will also see the release of minutes from the last Fed meeting providing another insight into when the central bank with start to tighten monetary conditions. Finally, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the best inflation gauge, will be out Thursday. More Market News

Economic News
Rates Move Up Down Under; Don't Expect Us to Follow
The surprise interest-rate hike by the Reserve Bank of Australia sent ripples through the global markets. But the move said more about the state of the economy Down Under than anywhere else. Even so, markets drew inferences about the strength of the world economy and the status of the U.S. dollar. Stocks rallied and gold broke out to a new high. But to tie those moves to the RBA rate hike is a heroic stretch. Rarely, if ever, has the action of Australian central bank attracted so much notice. But its quarter-point hike in its key short-term policy rate, to 3.25%, was the first official interest-rate increase of the Group of 20 major nations in this cycle. (Source: Barron's) Click here to read the full article

Beware the gold bubble
Signs of gold fever are everywhere. TV commercials scream, "Sell your baubles, prices are reaching the sky!" Investors have poured more than $12 billion this year into SPDR Gold Trust (GLD: Charts, News, Offers), the big exchange-traded fund. Top-ranked manager John Hathaway of the Tocqueville Gold Fund offers this astounding prediction: The price of the precious metal could rise to more than $5,000 an ounce. And if that's not enough to convince you, gold futures for December delivery rose $27 to an intraday record high of $1,045 an ounce in New York trading Tuesday. But amid the buying frenzy and after a decade-long run-up that has seen the price quadruple, is gold still a smart investment? (Source: CNN Money) Click here to read the full article

A Stable King Dollar and Lower Tax Rates Could Save the Nation
Team Obama is in economic trouble on two fronts right now: The dollar could be headed toward its demise while the jobs and unemployment numbers have gotten worse. (The unemployment rate is up to 9.8 percent as of the September report released last week.) And there’s a simple policy mix the White House could adopt to fix this. It could enact the Mundell-Laffer supply-side approach of a steady King Dollar for price stability and low marginal tax rates to spur jobs and economic growth. (Source: National Review Online) Click here to read the full article

Business News
Occidental-Phibro, a Conservative Match Made in Heaven?
Occidental Petroleum's (OXY: Charts, News, Offers) announcement to buy Phibro, the energy trading unit under Citigroup C, left lots of analysts and industry-folk scratching their heads -- surprised the oil and gas company would part from its typically conservative path. Occidental said Friday it would pay $250 million-- or net asset value -- for Phibro, a successful and, more recently, controversial firm that primarily trades in oil and gas. Citigroup, which has received about $45 billion in government bailout money, was widely criticized over a $100 million compensation package that was expected to be paid this year to Andrew Hall, the trading phenom who heads Phibro. (Source: BNET) Click here to read the full article

Lifeboats For A Sinking Dollar
With the dollar off 23% since March against a basket of world currencies, investors must ensure that they're diversified into foreign asset classes, U.S. companies with major offshore profits and natural resources. Go for gold if you like to gamble. Pretend you're an economic superpower like China, and you need to diversify away from the declining value of the U.S. dollar, the currency in which one of your biggest international investments is denominated: U.S. Treasury securities. (Source: Forbes) Click here to read the full article

BofA's Best Execs Already Call the Shots
The succession race at Bank of America (BAC: Charts, News, Offers) is the corporate spectacle of the year. By now everyone knows departing CEO Ken Lewis has left no clear heirs. But so far, the speculators have buzzed about a group of brand-new executives and overlooked a trove of potential, if temporary, leaders: the bank's government-engineered board of directors. The most-hyped internal candidates may actually be long shots with the wrong experience, while the least-hyped could inherit the bank. Look beyond oft-mentioned Sallie Krawcheck--only six weeks into her new job as head of wealth management. There is veteran bank exec Barbara Desoer, who modernized BofA's technology and is fixing the mess that is mortgage lender Countrywide Financial. Or peer past Thomas Montag, the former Merrill Lynch trading executive and head of investment banking for just a month. (Source: The Big Money) Click here to read the full article

Technology Focus
Sergey Brin Blows Smoke Up Your Ass
At least it's an exotic experience. How many times have you had a man worth billions work so hard to whip out his Google (GOOG: Charts, News, Offers), leak on your leg, and swear to God it's raining? Today, Sergey Brin does his best to sell you the snake-oil that his Google Book Search project is an undiluted good for the world, all those annoying monopoly worries aside. In an op-ed piece for the New York Times, the Google cofounder pimps out his best messiah impersonation, promises that he and Larry have your best interests at heart, and gets all weepy that anyone might not trust his baby with control over the digital archive of all human knowledge. We knew this piece was coming, because he hinted at it in Wednesday's presser at Google's New York office. But this is an astonishingly fatuous argument. If this is all Google's got, don't expect the feds to green-light the book settlement deal. (Source: The Big Money) Click here to read the full article

Uncovering Steve Jobs' Presentation Secrets
Steve Jobs does not sell computers; he sells an experience. The same holds true for his presentations that are meant to inform, educate, and entertain. An Apple presentation has all the elements of a great theatrical production -- a great script, heroes and villains, stage props, breathtaking visuals, and one moment that makes the price of admission well worth it. Here are the five elements of every Steve Jobs presentation. Incorporate these elements into your own presentations to sell your product or ideas the Steve Jobs way. (Source: BusinessWeek) Click here to read the full article

FCC launches probe of Google Voice service
Federal regulators will look into complaints by AT&T Inc. that Google Inc.'s (GOOG: Charts, News, Offers) free messaging and calling service, Google Voice, blocks calls to rural communities where local phone companies charge high connection fees. The Federal Communications Commission on Friday sent a letter to Google requesting information about its Voice service, which lets people sign up for one number that can route incoming calls to cell, office or home phones. The service also lets users place calls, including international calls, at low rates. (Source: MSNBC) Click here to read the full article

Your Money
For some, hard times are a gateway to new careers
For millions of Americans, the recession has been a curse. For a relative few, it's something more complicated: A catalyst for change. An opportunity to grow. A kick in the butt. In some cases, economic necessity has been the mother of re-invention. It has forced people to pursue careers they might never have considered if they hadn't gotten -- or quit before getting -- the ax. So a lumber mill worker becomes a nurse, a bus driver turns to welding, a paralegal sets out to sell cosmetics, an interior decorator learns to cook barbecue. Some unpack an old skill, like the piano. Others trade on a personal passion -- for people, pets or, in one case, piñatas. Some get help from the government. Others go it alone. (Source: USA Today) Click here to read the full article

Crafty Ways Restaurants Cut Costs
When it comes to dining out, Kevin Moll is the kind of frugal patron restaurant owners would love to see more of. The father of two from Denver always passes on the cream and sugar. He never pours a blob of ketchup next to his fries. Even better, after enjoying a plate of barbecued ribs, he usually prefers to wipe his saucy fingers with a cloth napkin, since the cleanup job would require at least three of the paper variety. And don't even get him started on carbonated beverages. This is a guy who prefers cola a little watered down. With hard times still taking a bite out of restaurant profits, more Kevin Molls are turning up at their tables--not as patrons but as professional nitpickers. (Source: Yahoo Finance) Click here to read the full article


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Market Overview
DJIA 9,864.94 +377.27
S&P 1,071.49 +46.28
NYSE 7,015.54 +340.97
NASDAQ 2,139.28 +91.17
10Yr 3.384% +0.163
Dollar 76.62 -0.39
More market statistics

Weekly Wrap Up
After two lackluster weeks, equities were back in fashion last week with the blue chip DJIA gaining 3.98% and the broader S&P 500 putting on 4.5%. Traders looked past the mediocre economic data that had plagued the market up until last week and started anticipating a great earnings season (which officially started on Wednesday with Alcoa (AA: Charts, News, Offers) beating expectations by putting up a profit, but kicks into gear this week with the major banks due to report). Last time around, earnings, on average, beat on the back of cost-cutting. Now the market is looking for revenue growth and if top line numbers do not impress, a pullback in stocks is likely. Stocks were in the green for 4 out of the 5 trading sessions last week. An interest rate hike (by the Australians) was actually greeted by enthusiasm as some took it to be a sign that the global economy is returning to normal. Goldman upgraded the banking sector on Monday (a little late to the party, of course). AT&T (T: Charts, News, Offers) was a laggard after the company said it will allow internet phone applications to run on the iPhone (i.e. a major concession as these apps compete directly with AT&T's core business). The commercial paper market looks to be back in shape with $67.6 billion worth of issues. Initial jobless claims fell 33,000 to 521,000, i.e. their lowest level since January. The trade deficit numbers gave a boost to the markets as the deficit unexpectedly declined on the back of strong exports, no doubt driven by the weakening dollar. The greenback continued to lose ground with inflation looming on the horizon and not surprisingly, gold, the traditional safe haven, had its best week since April, gaining $44.60/ounce over the week to close at $1,047.80.

Looking forward, this week will see a slew of earnings reports with Johnson & Johnson (JNJ: Charts, News, Offers), Intel (INTC: Charts, News, Offers), CSX (CSX: Charts, News, Offers)( Tuesday), JP Morgan (JPM: Charts, News, Offers), Morgan Stanley(MS: Charts, News, Offers) (Wednesday) and Goldman (GS: Charts, News, Offers) and Google (GOOG: Charts, News, Offers)(Thursday) being some of the major names on deck. Wednesday will also see the release of minutes from the last Fed meeting providing another insight into when the central bank with start to tighten monetary conditions. Finally, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the best inflation gauge, will be out Thursday. More Market News

Economic News
Rates Move Up Down Under; Don't Expect Us to Follow
The surprise interest-rate hike by the Reserve Bank of Australia sent ripples through the global markets. But the move said more about the state of the economy Down Under than anywhere else. Even so, markets drew inferences about the strength of the world economy and the status of the U.S. dollar. Stocks rallied and gold broke out to a new high. But to tie those moves to the RBA rate hike is a heroic stretch. Rarely, if ever, has the action of Australian central bank attracted so much notice. But its quarter-point hike in its key short-term policy rate, to 3.25%, was the first official interest-rate increase of the Group of 20 major nations in this cycle. (Source: Barron's) Click here to read the full article

Beware the gold bubble
Signs of gold fever are everywhere. TV commercials scream, "Sell your baubles, prices are reaching the sky!" Investors have poured more than $12 billion this year into SPDR Gold Trust (GLD: Charts, News, Offers), the big exchange-traded fund. Top-ranked manager John Hathaway of the Tocqueville Gold Fund offers this astounding prediction: The price of the precious metal could rise to more than $5,000 an ounce. And if that's not enough to convince you, gold futures for December delivery rose $27 to an intraday record high of $1,045 an ounce in New York trading Tuesday. But amid the buying frenzy and after a decade-long run-up that has seen the price quadruple, is gold still a smart investment? (Source: CNN Money) Click here to read the full article

A Stable King Dollar and Lower Tax Rates Could Save the Nation
Team Obama is in economic trouble on two fronts right now: The dollar could be headed toward its demise while the jobs and unemployment numbers have gotten worse. (The unemployment rate is up to 9.8 percent as of the September report released last week.) And there’s a simple policy mix the White House could adopt to fix this. It could enact the Mundell-Laffer supply-side approach of a steady King Dollar for price stability and low marginal tax rates to spur jobs and economic growth. (Source: National Review Online) Click here to read the full article

Business News
Occidental-Phibro, a Conservative Match Made in Heaven?
Occidental Petroleum's (OXY: Charts, News, Offers) announcement to buy Phibro, the energy trading unit under Citigroup C, left lots of analysts and industry-folk scratching their heads -- surprised the oil and gas company would part from its typically conservative path. Occidental said Friday it would pay $250 million-- or net asset value -- for Phibro, a successful and, more recently, controversial firm that primarily trades in oil and gas. Citigroup, which has received about $45 billion in government bailout money, was widely criticized over a $100 million compensation package that was expected to be paid this year to Andrew Hall, the trading phenom who heads Phibro. (Source: BNET) Click here to read the full article

Lifeboats For A Sinking Dollar
With the dollar off 23% since March against a basket of world currencies, investors must ensure that they're diversified into foreign asset classes, U.S. companies with major offshore profits and natural resources. Go for gold if you like to gamble. Pretend you're an economic superpower like China, and you need to diversify away from the declining value of the U.S. dollar, the currency in which one of your biggest international investments is denominated: U.S. Treasury securities. (Source: Forbes) Click here to read the full article

BofA's Best Execs Already Call the Shots
The succession race at Bank of America (BAC: Charts, News, Offers) is the corporate spectacle of the year. By now everyone knows departing CEO Ken Lewis has left no clear heirs. But so far, the speculators have buzzed about a group of brand-new executives and overlooked a trove of potential, if temporary, leaders: the bank's government-engineered board of directors. The most-hyped internal candidates may actually be long shots with the wrong experience, while the least-hyped could inherit the bank. Look beyond oft-mentioned Sallie Krawcheck--only six weeks into her new job as head of wealth management. There is veteran bank exec Barbara Desoer, who modernized BofA's technology and is fixing the mess that is mortgage lender Countrywide Financial. Or peer past Thomas Montag, the former Merrill Lynch trading executive and head of investment banking for just a month. (Source: The Big Money) Click here to read the full article

Technology Focus
Sergey Brin Blows Smoke Up Your Ass
At least it's an exotic experience. How many times have you had a man worth billions work so hard to whip out his Google (GOOG: Charts, News, Offers), leak on your leg, and swear to God it's raining? Today, Sergey Brin does his best to sell you the snake-oil that his Google Book Search project is an undiluted good for the world, all those annoying monopoly worries aside. In an op-ed piece for the New York Times, the Google cofounder pimps out his best messiah impersonation, promises that he and Larry have your best interests at heart, and gets all weepy that anyone might not trust his baby with control over the digital archive of all human knowledge. We knew this piece was coming, because he hinted at it in Wednesday's presser at Google's New York office. But this is an astonishingly fatuous argument. If this is all Google's got, don't expect the feds to green-light the book settlement deal. (Source: The Big Money) Click here to read the full article

Uncovering Steve Jobs' Presentation Secrets
Steve Jobs does not sell computers; he sells an experience. The same holds true for his presentations that are meant to inform, educate, and entertain. An Apple presentation has all the elements of a great theatrical production -- a great script, heroes and villains, stage props, breathtaking visuals, and one moment that makes the price of admission well worth it. Here are the five elements of every Steve Jobs presentation. Incorporate these elements into your own presentations to sell your product or ideas the Steve Jobs way. (Source: BusinessWeek) Click here to read the full article

FCC launches probe of Google Voice service
Federal regulators will look into complaints by AT&T Inc. that Google Inc.'s (GOOG: Charts, News, Offers) free messaging and calling service, Google Voice, blocks calls to rural communities where local phone companies charge high connection fees. The Federal Communications Commission on Friday sent a letter to Google requesting information about its Voice service, which lets people sign up for one number that can route incoming calls to cell, office or home phones. The service also lets users place calls, including international calls, at low rates. (Source: MSNBC) Click here to read the full article

Your Money
For some, hard times are a gateway to new careers
For millions of Americans, the recession has been a curse. For a relative few, it's something more complicated: A catalyst for change. An opportunity to grow. A kick in the butt. In some cases, economic necessity has been the mother of re-invention. It has forced people to pursue careers they might never have considered if they hadn't gotten -- or quit before getting -- the ax. So a lumber mill worker becomes a nurse, a bus driver turns to welding, a paralegal sets out to sell cosmetics, an interior decorator learns to cook barbecue. Some unpack an old skill, like the piano. Others trade on a personal passion -- for people, pets or, in one case, piñatas. Some get help from the government. Others go it alone. (Source: USA Today) Click here to read the full article

Crafty Ways Restaurants Cut Costs
When it comes to dining out, Kevin Moll is the kind of frugal patron restaurant owners would love to see more of. The father of two from Denver always passes on the cream and sugar. He never pours a blob of ketchup next to his fries. Even better, after enjoying a plate of barbecued ribs, he usually prefers to wipe his saucy fingers with a cloth napkin, since the cleanup job would require at least three of the paper variety. And don't even get him started on carbonated beverages. This is a guy who prefers cola a little watered down. With hard times still taking a bite out of restaurant profits, more Kevin Molls are turning up at their tables--not as patrons but as professional nitpickers. (Source: Yahoo Finance) Click here to read the full article


Visit the Weekly Newsletter archives here

Last Week
Sep 28 - Oct 2



Copyright(c) 2009 by InvestorGuide.com. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Unauthorized duplication, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited.
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