Windsun33

Unemployment was up in 29 states in October, with California, Delaware, South Carolina and Florida reaching record levels. Fourteen states are in double digits, and Michigan still leads the nation with 15.1%, followed by Nevada at 13% and Rhode Island at 12.9%.

Yeah, but without the stimulous package it would have been up in 21 states... </sarcasm>

Eddy Elfenbein nominates his stock of the year: Ford (F), after what it's been through, at its highest point in over two years with positive cash flow.

My only comment on F is that I still kick myself for selling all 3000 shares at $2.67 (paid $.97) because I was sure it would never hit $3...

Applied Materials: Plans for Layoffs, Cautious Outlook on Solar

More good news about the so-called "green jobs"...

Supply Side for Copper: A Game Changer in 2010?

What is scary right now about copper and some other base metals is that the prices on some are even higher now than they were 2-3 years ago during the great housing and auto boom years, when demand should have peaked.

Brazil's ETF and Economy Are Just Getting Started

I sold out about 15% of what I had in EWZ, not so much because of the tax, but because I am seeing more news blips about the huge rise in the REAL vs USD exchange rate this year, up around 35%. Still holding most, but took some profits off the top.

Dr. Copper Spots a Monster Crash

They are not "finite" in the strictest sense, but it costs more and more to mine them and refine them. But it seems to me that many of the base metal prices have outstripped demand considering the reduced demand in this global recession.


On Nov 19 12:31 PM metalguru wrote:

> Copper and all other commodities are finite in supply. As long as
> you have enough ink and paper - you can carry on printing Dollars
> till the cows come home..

Dr. Copper Spots a Monster Crash

China gets around $50 billion a year just in interest payments from all the US debt it has bought, maybe it thinks that it might as well put some of that into stockpiling copper. But you can only stockpile so much of it.

Brazil gets an OK from the WTO to retaliate against the U.S. for subsidizing cotton farmers, after the panel decided in August to allow nearly $295M in sanctions against American goods. Brazil is the world's No. 5 cotton producer.

Once again, another congress mandated farm subsidy has gross unintended consequences. What a surprise.

Gold ETFs: Will the Record Run Last?

Just one example - the Brazilian Real has gone up so much against the dollar this year that gold prices in Brazil have only gone up a small percentage as much as in the US and other inflation-driven countries.

Gold ETFs - Big Surprise at Tax Time

Seems to me like you could avoid the higher taxes by buying GLD and similar in an IRA.

Brazil's ETF and Economy Are Just Getting Started

Sure seems like it would have a high negative effect. I am not selling out completely just yet, but keeping a very close eye on it over the next few days.


On Nov 18 04:52 PM socrates+ wrote:

> brazil finance ministry's decision to tax foreign capital purchases
> of brazilian stock (2% direct, 1.5% ADR) has to adversely affect
> EWZ, no?

California's top fiscal analyst now thinks the state's gaping budget deficit will expand to nearly $21B next fiscal year, now that several provisions in this summer's plan are falling short on revenue projections.

I am totally shocked that government revenue predictions were not correct!

Asset Allocation: Is the Old Normal Becoming the New Normal?

While bonds have traditionally been part of most portfolios, the interest and risk of bonds now is not the same as it was in many past downturns - interest rates are lower, and risks are higher.

Sure, someone may have made a lot of money on 3Com (COMS) options as its acquisition by Hewlett-Packard (HP) was announced, but insider-trading conspiracy theorists are ahead of themselves, says Ultimi Barbarorum. Options deals are lumpy by nature, and it could just be short covering at work.

So you are saying that because it MIGHT be legit, that the feds should not look into it?

Why the Stock Market Should Crash

No, that is a big mistake. The old "buy and hold" investing is definately dead for quite a while, but that does not mean that there is not money to be made.


On Nov 16 01:35 PM herbert hoover wrote:

> There's no way anyone can invest in these markets unless they are
> naive, delusional or have more money than brains. if this market
> goes up another ten percent, the DJ is at 12000! With these fundamentals,
> that's insane