don2m

Why I'm Bearish on China

In the case of China there is a major difference between trading and investing. An investment in China IMO would be 3 to 5 years out. Trading in China is very volatile and is very lucrative if you care to test your timing ability every day and sit at your computer.
One third of the worlds population have begun to see the light of day and they almost can create their own economy just buying and selling to each other. China is a good investment with some restraint.

ETF Update: Time to Look at China

I have spent considerable time over the past year or so in China and I really believe that unless you have seen first hand what kind of building program they have it is hard to visualize it from a report. For as far as the eye can see mile after mile day after day there is nothing but cranes rising above the landscape. They are not building any of that communist crap, they are building an unbelievable infrastructure, Beautiful buildings, good highway systems, bridges, sea terminals, and on and on.
Actually their military build up is somewhat scary. It is huge and it is modern.
One gets the feeling there that they well recognize the value of capitalism and what they must do to compete with a global posture.
I have owned 2 small stocks for over 12 years and the appreciation is beyond belief. An automobile maker and a container company.
FXI is probably as good a way to participate at the least volatile and best risk / reward as there is. Good article.

Marc Faber, Jim Rogers and Boone Pickens - Bullish on Oil

Comments by PrudentMan are very true. I believe it was 1977 that the Dept of Energy was formed for the sole purpose of getting us off foreign oil dependency. One need only to look at what that has done other than of course providing jobs to federal beauracrats and over 125,000 contractors and a budget of many billions. Foreign oil dependency is more than twice than it was then. So much for government efficiency !
Until there is an alternative and a viable one which is not even in sight, oil will continue to be under the pressures of the day.

Never Listen to the Rating Agencies

I am in total agreement with you and even carry it one step further. When great companies like GE, CAT, NOV and others are down graded to a 'sell' then being somewhat of a skeptic as to their real motivation I believe that it boarders on unproveable manipulation.
Run the price down, load up, run the price up. Goldman, Merrill, Morgan, and many others of their world wide status who can move markets with just a few words have bothered me for many years. Now with the Madoff Ponzi Operation placing trust in anyone on Wall Street becomes harder and harder

Caterpillar: Does It Deserve the Goldman Downgrade?

Your assessment of Goldman's action is very informative and one which I totally agree. CAT will indeed lead any recovery news whenever it occurs 09,10 or whenever. The yield is worth waiting for at the moment and time will tell if they are slipping further into trouble with their financial unit. China and India are in my opinion going to be their salvation. The current relationship between China and CAT has been built over time by a good understanding by Jim Owens as to the almost guaranteed growth of China in good and bad times.
A graph showing an up trend even though slowly beats a graph showing down trend with no end in sight. CAT is a world class company for many reasons, a quality product being only one of them

Earnings Preview: Caterpillar

CAT is in a class by itself globally and has positioned itself strategically to capture and serve the world wide heavy equipment need. Their business model is unique in that they sell a piece of equipment and when it wears out they rebuild it....from birth to death so to speak.
The stock has been hammered but as a long term investment there probably is no finer company....world wide !

Caterpillar's Troubling Bond Issue

If you have been following CAT recently you will note that they are further positioning themselves globally especially in China and Russia. The infrastructure has to be maintained regardless of the general economy everywhere meaning that the "squeaky wheel" will get the grease .
Their entire business model is very unique in the "one stop shopping" department. A world class corporation with a top quality product line.
Komatsu and Terex are also rans. IMO

S&P 500 Energy Stocks

It almost would appear that there is strong manipulation in the entire sector as the numbers would indicate here.
The sector always hangs by a very thin thread anyway as evidenced by IKE last week so to say at this point that energy is dead is insane. Take the entire list and buy 500 shares of every one and sit for 2 years and the odds would support becoming a multi millionaire. When the "powers" decide that the energy sector is oversold and there is a blip in the supply or further extortion from the producers the prices will soar again. It would be an excellent investment at this particular time.

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

A most comprehensive overview of the world economic highlights. A great way to get an early briefing at one site.

Buy Natural Gas - Cramer's Lightning Round (8/1/08

The problem with cramer is the quick flip flops. one day cabot oil and gas is hot and at 65 a must buy. 2 weeks later it isn't even mentioned and the stock is down 40%. his portfolio was down 15% and the s&p 17% so he doesn't exactly blow the indexes away

10 Signs of a Recession

Newt is both educated and dangerous.

At least he has the fortitude to stand up and be counted which is more than I can say for 95% of the rest of the politicians. He has proposed a solution which did not require a mental giant to see. I am sure there are others who see the same but they all lack the guts to say so. You say he is dangerous........to who........the liberals.....the environmentalists....t... far left.........who?
He is an American patriot unfortunately who can't get elected but truth be known.........he should be the next President because he is "qualified" to be.
So he ran around on his wife ...........who gives a ++++.
Can he run a country is the question. Obama is unqualified but he is charismatic and he is probably going to be your next president. Good luck !

10 Signs of a Recession

Quoting a very intelligent man, Newt Gingrich, there are 3 things we can do and do now. The President call a news conference and announce the release of at least one third of the oil reserves which he says would hurt the speculators and run the price of a barrel of oil down at least $50 per barrel. Get started on a sane energy policy and get our nation into an exploration mode in areas where it is against the law at present to explore, namely, the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Gulf, and the shale deposits in North and South Dakota and thirdly start building automobiles for efficiency. Start a program now for all alternative power sources such as wind, solar, and nuclear.
What is the matter with America that we can't see this??