Jubak Picks

European Central Bank and Athens both say Greek politicians have signed onto Greek rescue deal

Jim Jubak — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:17:47 +0000

Mario Draghi, head of the European Central Bank, and state-run Greek TV are both saying that the Greek government has reached a deal on all the issues in a second Greek bailout package. Draghi has just told reporters in Frankfurt that Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos had telephoned him to say that an agreement had [...]

Will Greek politicians sign and end (temporarily) the Greek debt crisis?

Jim Jubak — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:07:11 +0000

Now a deal is in the hands of Greece’s politicians. Doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence (or the Greeks either from the man/woman on the street interviews I’ve read). But I think a deal will get done (“done,” of course, remaining a very flexible term in this crisis) by tomorrow when the Eurogroup convenes a [...]

Disney’s earnings surprise as park strength outweighs movie and Interactive weakness

Jim Jubak — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:00:51 +0000

When I sold Walt Disney’s (DIS) out of my Jubak’s Picks portfolio http://jubakpicks.com/the-jubak-picks/ on January 10 I flagged problems at the company’s movie business as the reason. Well, when the company reported earnings yesterday, February 7, for the recently concluded first quarter of fiscal 2012, the movie unit didn’t disappoint me. Revenue at the Walt [...]

Now if Yum! Brands could only fix its U.S.business

Jim Jubak — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:07:33 +0000

Expect to see more of this in earnings reports from China: Companies that are trading lower margins today for bigger market share tomorrow. That’s the message in the 2011 results reported by Yum! Brands (YUM) yesterday, February 6. The operator of KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell restaurants reported that margins in its Chinese restaurants [...]

Why the “discredited” peak oil model is still the best guide to investing in oil, copper, water, and other commodities

Jim Jubak — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:30:58 +0000

Now that oil is a long way from the $145 per barrel peak it hit in July 2008 and nobody on Wall Street is predicting, as Goldman Sachs did in 2008, that oil is headed to $250 a barrel, we’re not hearing much about peak oil anymore. The peak oil model, initially developed by oil [...]