Mattybuoy

Is the U.K. 'Finished'?

Hosed yes, finished no.

The article is a little sloppy, although I cannot disagree with the general "short the pound" theory. I wouldn't be so sure about the London equity market though. Around half of the earnings in the FTSE100 are derived overseas, so a weak pound actually helps there. Disappearing banking sector notwithstanding.

Regards,

An under-employed Brit ;)

Move Over Exxon-Mobil, Here Comes Gazprom

There is no substantive political risk with Gazprom, since it is already majority owned by the Russian government. The only question might be will they ever want to take control of the minority that is held by US and UK investors. I don't know for sure, but since this minority provides a "gateway" for financing I doubt it.

Russia is extremely rich in natural resources but it remains poor in capital. So the Faustian deal with western finance will likely continue, IMHO.

Alpha Natural Resources: My Favorite Coal Name

Sure, some met coal is used for power-generation I have no doubt. The point is, the price for it isn't determined by what's going with electricity. It's purely a function of the steel mills demand.

Besides, did I not see that 51% of Alpha's production went for export in this quarter? No-one will be transporting the stuff half-way around the world for making electricity.

Face it, it's a good stock! :)

Alpha Natural Resources: My Favorite Coal Name

Err you do realise that none of that applies to metallurgical coal, which is used solely for steel-making, and cannot be substituted.