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Monthly Archives: January 2012

Money Flows, Heat Map, and the S&P A/D Line

Thu Jan 26, 2012 1:34pm EST Comments Off on Money Flows, Heat Map, and the S&P A/D Line

Money Flows

ISSUE GAINERS                 SYMBOL   EXCH   LAST PRICE   MONEY FLOW    RATIO 
                                                          (in millions) 
iShs iBX $ High Yld Cp Bd      HYG     ARCA       91.14       +82.2       2.79 
Apple                          AAPL    NASD      444.61       +80.6       1.09 
SPDR Barclays Cap Hi Yld       JNK     ARCA       39.62       +74.0       5.85 
iShrs MSCI Brazil (Free)       EWZ     ARCA       66.58       +66.9       1.89 
SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF        MDY     ARCA      170.97       +35.8       1.80 
Rydex S&P Equal Weight         RSP     ARCA       49.37       +32.7      10.51 
Micromet                       MITI    NASD       10.91       +29.8       1.97 
Illumina                       ILMN    NASD       53.20       +29.6       1.46 
Mkt Vectors Gold Miners        GDX     ARCA       56.41       +28.5       1.31 
PwrShrs QQQ Tr Series 1        QQQ     NASD       60.36       +26.7       1.36 
Philip Morris Intl             PM      NYSE       76.25       +22.6       1.60 
Potash Corp                    POT     NYSE       46.11       +22.2       1.24 
Google                         GOOG    NASD      570.80       +20.2       1.07 
CurrencyShares AUD Tr          FXA     ARCA      106.68       +19.6       2.95 
Intel                          INTC    NASD       26.78       +19.0       1.31 
Barrick Gold                   ABX     NYSE       49.24       +18.7       1.41 
UnitedHealth Group             UNH     NYSE       50.43       +15.7       1.27 
WsdmTr Emrg Mkts Eqty Inc      DEM     ARCA       55.72       +15.0       3.31 
Broadcom                       BRCM    NASD       35.41       +14.5       1.50 
Sirius XM Radio                SIRI    NASD        2.08       +14.0       2.50 

ISSUE DECLINERS               SYMBOL   EXCH   LAST PRICE   MONEY FLOW    RATIO 
                                                          (in millions) 
Caterpillar                    CAT     NYSE      112.11       -78.2       0.81 
China Mobile                   CHL     NYSE       50.09       -65.8       0.06 
Pfizer                         PFE     NYSE       21.59       -47.8       0.51 
Procter & Gamble               PG      NYSE       65.14       -46.2       0.52 
iShrs Russell 2000             IWM     ARCA       79.33       -42.0       0.76 
Schwab Emerg Mkts Eqty         SCHE    ARCA       25.37       -37.8       0.02 
iShs Tr DJ U.S. Real Es        IYR     ARCA       60.78       -27.5       0.55 
Corning Inc                    GLW     NYSE       12.78       -26.0       0.68 
SanDisk                        SNDK    NASD       47.31       -25.4       0.86 
Oracle                         ORCL    NASD       28.36       -23.6       0.65 
AT&T                           T       NYSE       29.56       -20.9       0.85 
ArcelorMittal                  MT      NYSE       21.99       -19.7       0.29 
CurrencyShs Jpn Yen Tr         FXY     ARCA      127.04       -19.3       0.30 
Johnson & Johnson              JNJ     NYSE       65.76       -18.3       0.77 
Netflix                        NFLX    NASD      115.61       -17.5       0.97 
CenturyLink                    CTL     NYSE       37.39       -15.1       0.57 
Delta Air                      DAL     NYSE       10.38       -15.1       0.59 
iShrNasdaqBiotch               IBB     NASD      115.06       -14.4       0.43 
Wells Fargo                    WFC     NYSE       29.49       -13.2       0.85 
UltraPro Short S&P 500         SPXU    ARCA       11.18       -13.1       0.49

Heat map

A/D Line

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Gary Shilling: Fed Strategy Won’t Stave off Recession

Thu Jan 26, 2012 1:22pm EST Comments Off on Gary Shilling: Fed Strategy Won’t Stave off Recession

Gary is steadfast in his tune despite the recent uptick in economic data….

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New Report Reveals Share Buybacks are a Waste of Time

Thu Jan 26, 2012 1:20pm EST Comments Off on New Report Reveals Share Buybacks are a Waste of Time

A waste of time for share holders that is. Companies benefit from a smaller float and dividends that boost earnings.

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U.S Treasury Auctions Off 7 Year Notes at Record Low Yield

Thu Jan 26, 2012 1:18pm EST Comments Off on U.S Treasury Auctions Off 7 Year Notes at Record Low Yield

The bid to cover was below that of the last auction. Overall Rick Santelli gave the auction a B….

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Earnings Thus Far Reveals Great Worries Over China

Thu Jan 26, 2012 1:14pm EST 2

A slowing China has got multi nationals nervous…..

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2011 Turns Out to Be the Worst Year in New Home Sales in Over 50 Years

Thu Jan 26, 2012 1:12pm EST Comments Off on 2011 Turns Out to Be the Worst Year in New Home Sales in Over 50 Years

Remember bubbles rarely come back…and when they do it takes serious time.

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Time Warner Ignores the Grim Reaper at its Door

Thu Jan 26, 2012 1:09pm EST Comments Off on Time Warner Ignores the Grim Reaper at its Door

Good luck to you and your shareholders…

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What Does Caterpillar Have to Say About the Global Economy Going Forward?

Thu Jan 26, 2012 1:07pm EST Comments Off on What Does Caterpillar Have to Say About the Global Economy Going Forward?

Caterpillar had stellar earnings and has some very bad news for the bears from their full year outlook….

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$MKC Earnings Call

Thu Jan 26, 2012 12:50pm EST 1

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Debt ceiling raised…unofficially 6 months ago

Thu Jan 26, 2012 12:34pm EST Comments Off on Debt ceiling raised…unofficially 6 months ago

It cleared the Senate, but who are we kidding? It was already going to happen when the GOP caved in August. This is just a big stage that the conservatives can stand on now to remind the world how much they hate our debt…despite fully embracing it.

Really, the Tea Party was so totally ineffective on cutting spending, it’s almost sad. Freshmen…

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5 Corporate Takeaways from the Papa John’s “Lady Chinky Eyes” Debacle $PZZA

Thu Jan 26, 2012 12:10pm EST Comments Off on 5 Corporate Takeaways from the Papa John’s “Lady Chinky Eyes” Debacle $PZZA

(via GroundFloor Media)

It’s a new year and time to dust off your social media crisis plan. Need motivation? Just check out how Papa John’s is mired in the damage caused this week when a single tweet started a media firestorm.

An unofficial count found nearly 500 news hits covering the Papa John’s story. It began with a 10-word tweet from a customer, accompanied by a twitpic of her Papa John’s receipt that referred to her as “lady chinky eyes.”

The customer is the communications manager for ProPublica, a nonprofit investigative journalism outlet.

Now there are calls for boycotts, and phone lines at this particular upper Manhattan franchise are overloaded with prank calls from people ordering Chinese food.

Papa John’s Twitter account went from ebullient tweets about reaching 2 million Facebook fans and giving away free pizzas to posting hundreds of responses about the incident, saying over and over: “We are very upset by recent receipt issue in New York & sincerely apologize to our customer. Franchise employee involved is being terminated.”

The issue was compounded when an employee was quoted in the media as saying, “I think the lady put it out there just to get some attention—some people like that type of attention. I truly don’t think it’s fair. It’s been taking up all our time. It’s been very disruptive.”

I bet it has.

Using this particular incident as a jumping-off point, here are several tips that should be included in any social media crisis plan:

Take immediate action. The speed at which bad news spreads on social media is mind-boggling. Companies need to have a response plan that cuts through the red tape and offers an immediate and appropriate response.

Show sympathy. On social media, an apology goes a long way. No company can manage what every employee does, but it can have policies in place to keep crises from happening. Linking to the policy and getting rid of the employee who breached it are good first steps.

Have one official spokesperson. Route all calls to an official spokesperson, one who knows the messaging. Front-line employees are busy with their jobs and may not be aware of the potential repercussions of their comments.

Ensure it won’t reoccur. Learn from the crisis, and put measures in place to minimize the chances of its happening again.

Think bigger picture. A reputation takes a long time to heal, but grand gestures can help. In the case of Papa John’s, maybe a generous donation to a relevant charity might be on point.

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{VIDEO} SHOCK YOUR GRANDMA: Pat Sajak Hosted “Wheel of Fortune” Drunk

Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:47am EST 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Nct34hSkIPQ

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Japan looks to restart reactors in a post-Fukashima world

Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:47am EST Comments Off on Japan looks to restart reactors in a post-Fukashima world

OHI, Japan (AP) — International inspectors are visiting a rugged Japanese bay region so thick with reactors it is dubbed “Nuclear Alley,” where residents remain deeply conflicted as Japan moves to restart plants idled after the Fukushima disaster.

The local economy depends heavily on the industry, and the national government hopes that “stress tests” at idled plants — the first of which is being reviewed this week by the International Atomic Energy Agency — will show they are safe enough to switch back on.

But last year’s tsunami crisis in northeastern Japan with meltdowns at three of the Fukushima reactors has fanned opposition to the plants here in western Fukui prefecture, a mountainous region surrounding Wakasa Bay that also relies on fishing and tourism and where the governor has come out strongly against nuclear power.

“We don’t need another Fukushima, and we don’t want to repeat the same mistake here,” said Eiichi Inoue, a 63-year-old retiree in the coastal town of Obama. “I know they added stress tests, but what exactly are they doing?”

“I oppose restarting them,” he said.

Other residents said that economic realities made the plants indispensable, including Chikako Shimamoto, a 38-year-old fitness instructor in Takahama, a town that hosts one of the region’s nuclear plants.

“We all know that we better not restart them,” Shimamoto said. “But we need jobs and we need business in this town.

“Our lives in this town depends on the nuclear power plant and we have no choice,” she said.

On Thursday, an IAEA team visited a plant in the town of Ohi to check whether officials at operator Kansai Electric Power Co. had correctly done the tests at two reactors. The tests are designed to assess whether plants can withstand earthquakes, tsunamis, loss of power or other emergencies, and suggest changes to improve safety.

Their visit, at Japan’s invitation, appeared aimed at reassuring a skeptical public that authorities are taking the necessary precautions before bringing nuclear plants back on line. After the visit, IAEA team leader James Lyons said its assessment would be released at the end of the month but deciding whether to restart the reactors was up to the Japanese goverment.

Some experts are critical of the stress tests, saying they are meaningless because they have no clear criteria, and view the IAEA as biased toward the nuclear industry.

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CAT: Nice move; 60% increase in 4Q profit

Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:45am EST Comments Off on CAT: Nice move; 60% increase in 4Q profit

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — Caterpillar Inc. said Thursday that its fourth-quarter profit jumped 60 percent, boosted by pent-up demand for new equipment and continuing economic growth in developing countries.

The performance of the world’s largest maker of construction and mining equipment is an indicator of the strength of the global economy. Along with strong fourth-quarter earnings, Caterpillar issued rosy guidance, saying that it expects the global economy to grow faster this year and construction activity to continue to improve in most parts of the world.

Caterpillar, based in Peoria, Ill., reported net income of $1.55 billion, or $2.32 per share, up from $968 million, or $1.47 per share, in the same quarter last year.

Sales and revenue jumped 24 percent to $17.24 billion from $12.81 billion, as sales volumes increased at all three of the company’s major businesses. Revenue from Bucyrus International Inc., which the Caterpillar acquired in July, totaled $1.39 billion.

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China: We’re just trying to learn the rules of the game

Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:43am EST Comments Off on China: We’re just trying to learn the rules of the game

Poor little guys…fraud isn’t their fault, they just don’t know any better…

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Chinese investment abroad is drawing scrutiny as global leaders increasingly look to China to prop up the world economy, even though some remain wary of the country’s dominance.

The head of one of China’s biggest private equity firms said at the World Economic Forum on Thursday that foreign prejudice about Chinese investment is unfair and that Chinese investors are still learning a game that much of the world has been playing for decades.

With China’s “state capitalism” booming and Western economies lagging, business and political leaders also discussed the prospects for democracy worldwide, at an Associated Press debate.

Attention at the invitation-only gathering in the Swiss Alps turned Thursday to China, and how and whether it could help developed economies in Europe and the United States avoid new recession.

Chinese companies and government funds have been using vast reserves of cash to buy up foreign companies and invest in foreign government bonds in recent years. But with billions of dollars in Chinese investments pouring into their countries, some governments have accused China of seeking to exploit the economic weakness of others to grab valuable natural and technological resources at rock bottom prices.

President Barack Obama’s administration also has repeatedly accused China of breaking global trade rules by giving unfair protection to its companies and domestic workers.

“The vast majority of Chinese companies are trying to follow the rules as they understand it,” said John Zhao, CEO of Hony Capital. “But many Chinese companies are still trying to learn the rules.” His company controls PC maker Lenovo, which bought IBM’s computer division in 2005.

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Palestinians protest tax increase

Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:40am EST Comments Off on Palestinians protest tax increase

TULKAREM, West Bank (AP) — Some 300 Palestinians have protested against price hikes and a recent income tax increase imposed by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

Fayyad says he needs to raise revenues to slash a debilitating budget deficit that has led to several cash crises in recent months. Fayyad says the tax hikes target only the rich, and the measures are needed to wean the Palestinians off foreign aid.

The tax hike comes at a time of a steep increases in the prices of some basic goods and has sparked protests in the West Bank. On Thursday, about 300 supporters of a small PLO faction, the People’s Party, staged a march in the northern West Bank town of Tulkarem.

Business leaders and the West Bank’s dominant Fatah Party also oppose the tax increase.

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No shortage of oil, even with Iran embargo

Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:38am EST Comments Off on No shortage of oil, even with Iran embargo

LONDON (Reuters) – The world is likely to have more oil, not less, this summer even as Europe imposes sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.

Although Europe’s refiners will have to pay up for other sources of oil, they should have little difficulty finding them.

Extra crude oil from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Libya will more than make up for any lost from Iran after the ban is imposed on July 1, and this is likely to be reflected in oil prices.

As much as 1 million barrels per day (bpd) more crude oil could be coming from these three producers alone – perhaps double the volume of Iranian exports lost to the European Union.

“The oil market should be very well supplied this summer – even better than now,” said Samuel Ciszuk, Middle East and North African (MENA) analyst at consultancy KBC Energy Economics.

“Volumes from Iraq should be up significantly, Libya is doing very well and Saudi Arabia will increase production to compensate for some of the lost Iranian barrels.”

The International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday sanctions against Tehran would imply supply declines of about 1.5 million bpd from the world’s fifth largest oil producer, adding global oil prices could rise as much as 30 percent if Iran halted oil exports as a result of the West’s actions.

But senior oil executives, traders and strategists see little chance of significant supply disruption this summer.

Although oil prices have risen on fears that conflict between Iran and the West could disrupt exports from the Middle East, they argue such a clash is extremely unlikely.

And with the European economy in the doldrums and Asian growth slowing, overall oil demand growth is being constrained.

“NOTHING WILL CHANGE”

Iran will keep selling its oil, much of it into Asia, where consumers will be only too happy to buy at the right price.

“(Iranian) oil will go somewhere else,” Total SA Chief Executive Christophe de Margerie told Reuters in Davos on Wednesday. “Iran may give a discount to make it easier and quicker but nothing will change.”

The net result is almost certain to be an overall increase in oil supply, initially into Asia but eventually to all world markets, and downward pressure on prices.

Expectations of improving supply are already beginning to affect prices, dampening Brent crude oil futures for nearby contracts relative to forward months, tipping the front of the price curve into a so-called contango.

The front-month contract for Brent, now March, traded around $111 per barrel on Thursday, and this week it has traded at a small discount to April. Many traders expect the rest of the price curve to move into contango as supplies improve.

The world’s top oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, is pumping just under 10 million bpd and is most likely to make up any shortfall in Iranian supplies. It has promised to meet any extra requests from customers and Gulf industry sources expect a significant increase this summer, maybe of up to 500,000 bpd.

Iraq is aiming to expand its crude oil exports by up to 400,000 bpd by March, after starting up a new Gulf oil terminal this month. This would take its overall oil sales to about 2.5 million bpd, an Iraqi industry source says.

Libya, returning to full production after the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi and civil war last year, has already pushed up oil exports to around 800,000 bpd this month, says the National Oil Corp. Libya expects to increase exports by up to 500,000 bpd by the third quarter.

“FAVOURABLE” PAYMENT TERMS

Meanwhile, many buyers of Iranian oil, especially in Asia, show no sign of supporting the Western campaign against Iran.

Chinese oil companies are negotiating hard with the state-run National Iranian Oil Company on term purchases and, while they want the lowest possible price, they have no intention of taking less Iranian crude, sources familiar with the Chinese term negotiations say.

India wants to take as much Iranian oil as it can because terms are “favorable,” Oil Minister S. Jaipal Reddy said on Monday, after talks between the two sides on payment terms.

Together, China and India, could take more Iranian crude, possibly much more, if it were heavily discounted.

“Totting it all up, the figures show supplies from the MENA region improving, not decreasing,” said a senior oil trader at a large U.S. bank. “We can’t see a shortage coming.”

David Wech, head of research at Vienna-based consultancy JBC Energy, said the price impact of the changing supply-demand picture had been obscured by worries over geopolitical risk:

“There is some logic that the situation might lead to … more barrels if Iran manages to supply more than expected.”

The big losers could be European refiners, already under huge pressure from poor margins and high debt.

“The Iranians might have to discount a bit, but the real victims will be European refiners who will have to pay up for alternative supplies,” said a senior trader at a large European refiner that has been a regular buyer of Iranian crude.

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Iran: No we ban you, Europe

Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:33am EST Comments Off on Iran: No we ban you, Europe

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s parliament will begin debating a draft bill requiring the government to immediately halt oil exports to Europe, a prominent lawmaker said Wednesday, as Tehran weighs its options following the European Union’s decision to stop importing oil from the country.

The EU embargo, announced on Monday, was the latest attempt to try to pressure Iran over a nuclear program the United States and its allies argue is aimed at developing nuclear weapons but which Iran says is for purely peaceful purposes. It came just weeks after the U.S. approved, but has yet to enact, new sanctions targeting Iran’s Central Bank and, by extension, its ability to sell its oil.

Many Iranian lawmakers and officials have called for an immediate ban on oil exports to the European bloc before its ban fully goes into effect in July, arguing that the 27 EU nations account for only about 18 percent of Iran’s overall oil sales and would be hurt more by the decision than Iran. China, a key buyer of Iranian crude, has blasted the embargo.

“The bill requires the government to stop selling oil to Europe before the start of European Union oil embargo against Iran,” lawmaker Hasan Ghafourifard told the parliament’s website, icana.ir. Debate on the bill is to begin on Sunday, he said.

The U.S. sanctions had outraged Iranian officials, prompting repeated threats from various officials that the country could shutter the vital Strait of Hormuz if measures are enacted that affect its oil exports. Roughly a fifth of the world oil passes through the narrow waterway, and the U.S. and others have warned Iran they will not allow it to impede the free flow of traffic in the area.

Iran is OPEC’s fourth largest producer and most of its crude goes to Europe and Asia.

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Market Update

Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:51am EST Comments Off on Market Update

Natural gas prices experienced a brief spike higher in the minutes that immediately followed the latest weekly inventory report, which showed a draw of 192 bcf when a draw of 180 bcf had been widely expected, but prices have since turned lower to trade with a 1.8% loss at $2.72 per MMBtu.

Oil continues to display strength, however. The energy component was last quoted at $100.60 per barrel, which makes for a 1.2% gain.

Precious metals are also in positive territory, but silver has eased back from its morning high. Silver was last quoted at $33.35 per ounce, which makes for a 0.7% gain, but it was up almost as high as $33.80 per ounce earlier this morning. Meanwhile, gold continues to trade with a strong gain of about 1.4% at $1724 per ounce.

Market Update

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Entire Year Nearly Blown Up

GRANDIOSE CATASTROPHE LOOMS

Very Bogged on this Final Day of April

Monthly Archives: January 2012

Money Flows, Heat Map, and the S&P A/D Line

52 Week Highs and Lows

Gary Shilling: Fed Strategy Won’t Stave off Recession

New Report Reveals Share Buybacks are a Waste of Time

U.S Treasury Auctions Off 7 Year Notes at Record Low Yield

Earnings Thus Far Reveals Great Worries Over China

2011 Turns Out to Be the Worst Year in New Home Sales in Over 50 Years

Time Warner Ignores the Grim Reaper at its Door

What Does Caterpillar Have to Say About the Global Economy Going Forward?

$MKC Earnings Call

Debt ceiling raised…unofficially 6 months ago

5 Corporate Takeaways from the Papa John’s “Lady Chinky Eyes” Debacle $PZZA

{VIDEO} SHOCK YOUR GRANDMA: Pat Sajak Hosted “Wheel of Fortune” Drunk

Japan looks to restart reactors in a post-Fukashima world

CAT: Nice move; 60% increase in 4Q profit

China: We’re just trying to learn the rules of the game

Palestinians protest tax increase

No shortage of oil, even with Iran embargo

Iran: No we ban you, Europe

Market Update