Copyright (c) 2006 Stockpickr. All rights reserved. http://www.stockpickr.com/ en-us Enter a portfolio, get recommendations automatically from hedge funds, mutual funds, super investors. http://www.stockpickr.com/images/stockpickr.jpg http://www.stockpickr.com/ 144 17 http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/702/ Speaking of Dividends: This Barron's column highlights the latest dividend increases, initiations and cutbacks. This week there’s information the Intel (INTC), Duke Energy (DUK) and American International Group (AIG). Bullish and Bearish: Each week, Barron's publishes bullish and bearish stories on a variety of stocks. We present summaries of those stories in this portfolio. This week, there are bullish stories on Time Warner (TWX) and Cal-Maine Foods (CALM). Latest Activist Purchases: Which companies are the top hedge funds chasing? This week's list includes names like Enzon Pharmaceuticals (ENZN), Invitrogen (IVGN) and Countrywide Financial (CFC). Research Reports: The latest analyst research reports highlighted by Barr... Sun, 06 Jul 2008 02:04:05 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/701/ 7-2-08 I've been responding to a new batch of questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community on Stockpickr Answers. Anybody can ask, respond or comment at Stockpickr Answers; the top responders get ranked in our "Top Analysts" section. Here are a few questions I've recently answered. (Note: You may have to scroll through several answers to see my response.) If Israel follows through with any of its plans on Iran as stated in the news, what effect will it have on oil? How high? Click here for Altucher's answer to this question. I think the Dow Jones is a very poor indicator of the market. Both the Nasdaq and S&P 500 have been beaten down but have held their lows. The Dow is supposed to be the blue chip... Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:48:16 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/700/ Here are a few of the places where you can find Stockpickr content. Rocket Stocks: Each week, we lay out a group of stocks that have the potential to move higher in the coming days. Cramer's Take on Most Searched Stocks: We break down the most-searched stocks on TheStreet.com and tell you what Cramer had to say about them recently. Top Dividend Stocks of the Week: Here are some of the latest stocks to raise their dividends. Top Short Squeezes: These heavily shorted stocks have the potential to surge higher on any positive catalyst. Top 10 Insider Purchases and Buybacks: Each week we highlight the largest buyback and insider buying situations. Fast Money Portfolios of the Week: Each week we review the stocks the &quot... Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:18:57 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/699/ 07-01-08 On Stockpickr Answers, David Peltier responded to a new batch of questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community. Peltier writes two weekly newsletters for TheStreet.com. He researches value stocks, such as Smithfield Foods (SFD), for the TheStreet.com Value Investor, and high-yield stocks, such as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), for TheStreet.com Dividend Stock Advisor. Anybody can ask, respond or comment at Stockpickr Answers; the top responders get ranked in our "Top Analysts" section. Here are a few of the questions Peltier recently answered. (Note: You may have to scroll through several answers to see Peltier's.) Any thoughts on United Online (UNTD) at or below $10? Click here ... Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:26:36 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/698/ Because of the news that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5-to-4 decision that citizens have a constitutional right to keep guns for self-defense, investors have been taking a closer look at the stocks of firearms manufacturers. It is interesting to note that firearms have been used to sell houses (as gifts, not as threats). A real estate agent offered free guns to real estate buyers. Here are some firearms and weapons companies that may be worth investigating to see if they are worth pulling the trigger on. One of the two major gun and firearms manufacturers in the United States is Sturm Ruger (RGR), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange. This Connecticut-based company has been manufacturing rifles, shotguns, pistols and revo... Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:30:38 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/697/ 06-30-2008 I've been responding to a new batch of questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community on Stockpickr Answers. Anybody can ask, respond or comment at Stockpickr Answers; the top responders get ranked in our "Top Analysts" section. Here are a few questions I've recently answered. (Note: You may have to scroll through several answers to see my response.) The banks got killed last week. The UltraShort Financials (SKF) ETF moved from 134 on Monday to 150 by Friday. Do you think the banks will continue to go down? Click here for Altucher's answer to this question. I'm down 2% on Microsoft (MSFT). Should I sell and take my losses, or are you bullish on MSFT in the next few months? Same thing with Disn... Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:26:06 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/696/ 06-30-2008 On Stockpickr Answers recently, Jim Cramer responded to a new batch of questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community. Anybody can ask, respond or comment at Stockpickr Answers; the top responders get ranked in our "Top Analysts" section. Here are a couple of the questions Cramer recently answered. (Note: You may have to scroll through several answers to see Cramer's.) I want to start a long position with natural gas. What do you advise? Petrohawk (HK), Southwestern (SWN), U.S. Natural Gas (UNG), U.S. Heating Oil (UHN). Click here for Cramer's answer to this question. With carmakers getting crushed in recent years, who is best-positioned going forward to benefit from alternative energy cars (fuel ... Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:27:14 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/695/ Methane is a greenhouse gas with global warming potential; however, it is one of the cleanest-burning fuels, because it is the purest form of natural gas and is much cleaner than burning coal. The sources of methane gas are natural gas fields; decaying organic wastes of solid waste landfills, such as manure, wastewater sludge, municipal solid waste and landfills; and coal deposits from coal-bed methane extraction. Coal-bed methane generally consists of at least 95% methane, unlike natural gas, which has methane plus significant quantities of ethane, propane, butane and pentane, as well as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, helium and hydrogen sulfide. The heavy hydrocarbons need to be extracted before the natural gas is distributed, but methane ... Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:41:34 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/694/ High Yielders: Barron's highlighted a number of stocks that are now showing much higher dividend yields due to the recent market selloff. Some of the names included Legacy Reserves (LGCY) and Annaly Capital Management (NLY). Doomsday Interview: Barron's spoke with Peter D. Schiff, president and chief global strategist of Euro Pacific Capital. Schiff is well-known around Wall Street for holding an extremely bearish view on the future of America. He currently holds bullish positions in international stocks like Oxiana (OXR.AX) and Road King Infrastructure (1098.HK). Speaking of Dividends: This Barron's column highlights the latest dividend increases, initiations and cutbacks. This week there’s information the CME Group (CME). ... Sun, 29 Jun 2008 21:15:15 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/693/ 06-27-08 Updated from 9:21 a.m. EDT On Stockpickr Answers recently, Jim Cramer responded to a new batch of questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community. Despite moves in Oracle (ORCL) and Merrill Lynch (MER), investors have been asking about other big names. Anybody can ask, respond or comment at Stockpickr Answers; the top responders get ranked in our "Top Analysts" section. Here are a couple of the questions Cramer recently answered. (Note: You may have to scroll through several answers to see Cramer's.) I'm not understanding the decline in Mosaic(MOS). Mosaic is looking to sell its 50% stake in the nitrogen plant Saskferco, but I don't see that as a big negative. Any other news I don't see? Click here fo... Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:51:33 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/692/ Updated from June 26, 11:50 a.m. EDT I've been responding to a new batch of questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community on Stockpickr Answers. Despite moves in Sprint (S) and American Eagle (AEO), investors have been asking questions about other big names. Anybody can ask, respond or comment at Stockpickr Answers; the top responders get ranked in our "Top Analysts" section. Here are a few questions to which I've recently responded. (Note: You may have to scroll through several answers to see my response.) Anyone know of a pure wind play other than Broadwind Energy (BWEN)? Or anything with at least 50% of its business in wind? Click here for Altucher's answer to this question. I am losing tons on Sandisk (... Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:50:16 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/691/ On Stockpickr Answers recently, Jim Cramer responded to a new batch of questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community. Anybody can ask, respond or comment at Stockpickr Answers; the top responders get ranked in our "Top Analysts" section. Here are a few of the questions to which Cramer recently responded. (Note: You may have to scroll through several answers to see Cramer's.) JPMorgan (JPM). Is it OK to do a little taste-testing on the long side with a tight stop, say between 35 and 36 -- or might there be a little more risk to that BSC acquisition among other things than meets the eye? Click here for Cramer's answer to this question. I'm about to lose patience waiting for Nvidia (NVDA) to come back. I'm of... Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:28:21 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/690/ I've been responding to a new batch of questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community on Stockpickr Answers. Anybody can ask, respond or comment at Stockpickr Answers; the top responders get ranked in our "Top Analysts" section. Here are a few questions to which I've recently responded. (Note: You may have to scroll through several answers to see my response.) Stop loss, stop limit. Trailing stop loss, trailing stop limit. Which is better for controlling risk, and why? I'm thinking of taking a few days off for the Fourth of July and wondering how to use these in case the sky falls down while I'm out. Click here for Altucher's answer to this question. Stockpickrs, I know the retailers are getting beaten with... Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:16:50 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/689/ Editor's note: This column was submitted by Stockpickr member Susanne Owen, also known as the Trading Nymph. I have a retail play that's had a more than 70% stock price increase since March and a 1,100% earnings surprise since it last reported -- yet no one ever mentions it. Now that I have your attention, you probably want to know the name and why it is so good. Well, the name is Jo-Ann Stores (JAS), and it sells fabric. Fabric? Yes, fabric, along with sewing notions, quilting supplies, craft textiles and those Wilton cake pans so you can make a Winnie the Pooh cake to celebrate your profits in the stock. You mean you don't celebrate profits with Winnie the Pooh Cake? Well, if you own Jo-Ann Stores, you might start. In Jo-Ann's f... Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:41:25 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/688/ This choppy market is causing more investors to take a closer look at high-dividend stocks, especially the ones that pay monthly, since monthly payments help reduce the volatility of the stock and accelerate the return of capital. Retirees are also looking for stocks that pay dividends monthly. The following are some of the top 49 monthly dividend payers, condensed from the list of over 350 monthly dividend stocks. For purposes of this article, closed end funds, REITs and oil income trusts are considered stocks. One of the highest-yielding monthly dividend stocks is Pengrowth Energy Trust (PGH), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange and yields 13.6%. Pengrowth is a Canadian Oil Income Trust, which owns and manages interests in and r... Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:22:11 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/687/ First, a clarification. Because I called these 'screaming buys', doesn't mean that I recommend these stocks, as I never make recommendations, but as strong suggestions for further research. Second, let's get the disclosures out of the way. I don't want to make the mistake I made last year on March 8, 2007, when I wrote the article 'Why Amazon.com Stock could be Up Substantially by Year End'. The article listed twelve reasons why Amazon.com (AMZN) looked extremely favorable. The stock started shooting up in April and within three months, the stock had doubled. That's great for the investors who bought it, but not for me, since I didn't own any of their shares. So I want to let you know that I own the first three of following stocks. ... Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:58:17 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/686/ I've received questions recently about all the stock dividend dates, so I thought I would clarify them for you. In addition, for those who are interested in 'buying dividends', I have listed the stocks going ex-dividend during the first two weeks of July. Here's what each of the dividend dates mean. Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend. Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend. Record date: the day when you must be on the company's books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is... Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:45:08 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/685/ Oil Bubble Picks: Barron's thinks the price of oil may be peaking between the range of $130 to $140 a barrel. If oil tops out Barron's suggests getting long Marathon Oil (MRO) and ExxonMobil (XOM). Legg Mason Interview: Barron's spoke with Harry Cohen and Scott Glasser, managers of Legg Mason Partners Appreciation Fund (SHAPX). The duo is currently bullish on Kraft (KFT) and Newfield Exploration (NFX). Speaking of Dividends: This Barron's column highlights the latest dividend increases, initiations and cutbacks. This week there’s information on Monsanto (MON). Bullish and Bearish: Each week, Barron's publishes bullish and bearish stories on a variety of stocks. We present summaries of those stories in this portfolio. Th... Sun, 22 Jun 2008 13:23:48 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/684/ What do baby teeth, stem cells and stocks have in common? The National Institute of Health has discovered that strong stem cells can be found in baby teeth, and there are stocks of several companies involved in stem cell research. Last month, a dental practice management company in Houston announced that they will offer a service of storing stem cells from baby teeth. Extensive research is being done to utilize stem cells for gene therapy and the treatment of multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and many other medical conditions. Another source of stem cells is cord blood, the blood from an umbilical cord. The saving and storing of cord blood has become a fast growing business. Richard Branson... Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:20:21 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/683/ For investors who are interested in buying dividends, there are a lot of stocks going ex-dividend in the next couple weeks. The following are stocks that are going ex through July 4. All have yields above 2.6%, P/E ratios below 20, and PEG's below 2.8. Shown below is the ex-dividend date for each stock. PremierWest Bancorp (PRWT), 6/23/2008, Yield: 3.3%, P/E: 10, PEG: 0.79. Xcel Energy (XEL), 6/24/2008, Yield: 4.5%, P/E: 15, PEG: 2.79. Alliance Financial (ALNC) 6/24/2008 Yield: 4.2% P/E: 12 PEG: 1.69. First Midwest Bancorp (FMBI) 6/25/2008 Yield: 5.3% P/E: 15 PEG: 2.22. Pzena Investment Management (PZN), 6/25/2008, Yield: 3.8%, P/E: 8, PEG: 0.55. B&G Foods (BGS), 6/26/2008, Yield: 8.6%, P/E: 18, PEG: 2.77. Jac... Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:47:07 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/682/ Expert Stock Picks: Barron's spoke with eleven of Wall Street’s most sought-after experts, like Bill Gross, Mario Gabelli and Marc Faber, for their midyear Roundtable. The experts are bullish on names like SanDisk (SNDK), Countrywide Financial (CFC) and Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold (FCX). Islamic Principles Fund Manager: Barron's talks with Nicholas Kaiser, president of Saturna Capital and adviser to Amana Income Fund (AMANX). Kaiser manages money according to Islamic principles and he currently has bullish bets on United Parcel Service (UPS) and AT&T (T). Speaking of Dividends: This Barron's column highlights the latest dividend increases, initiations and cutbacks. This week there’s information on Caterpil... Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:19:04 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/681/ The leaders in TheStreet.com's Beat the Street contest keep on selling airline stocks this week, and eight players are locked at the top. Contestants Angelseyes, Beesley, Beverb, Comsimat, Quest777, Smile44U, Zraider7 and Sarith all shorted AMR (AMR), Northwest (NWA), UAL (UAUA), Delta (DAL) and US Airways (LCC). They are tied at the top at $316,901.88. The players chasing the leaders are also short airlines, so the action in oil and these stocks could determine the ultimate winner among this week's 5512 players who made 21,750 long picks and 7163 shorts this week. In addition, 1353 players took advantage of the opportunity to change their portfolios this week. The most popular stocks were Apple (AAPL), Lehman Brothers (LEH), UA... Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:16:09 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/680/ One aspect of alternative energy that is rarely discussed in the press is cogeneration. Cogeneration is the generation of two or more sources of power, such as electricity, heat and steam, from one source of fuel. Even cooling can be a byproduct of cogeneration plants through the use of absorption chillers with moderate heat. Cogeneration plants come in all sizes, from those for individual homes to those for large utilities. Consolidated Edison (ED) is the largest cogenerator in the world, with seven cogeneration plants that produce 30 billion pounds of steam for Manhattan every year. All of the following stocks have market caps over $230 million, and most trade on either the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq. Ballard Power Sys... Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:48:06 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/679/ If you are looking for alternative-energy-oriented “green” stocks, but you like high yields, you can actually find a combination of both. The following are a group of stocks involved in alternative energy in some way, such as wind power or solar energy or ethanol. They all pay dividends. PG&E (PCG): This California-based electric and gas utility serves 5 million customers. Its electrical generation comes from natural gas, nuclear, hydro, coal, geothermal, wind and several other types of renewable sources. The P/E is 15 and the PEG is 1.91. The stock yields 4%. IdaCorp (IDA): This holding company owns Idaho Power Company, which is involved in the generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electric energy, ... Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:22:00 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/678/ If you are looking for an industry that has been depressed in a 'relatively stable' industry, provides steady dividends, and pays a high yield, you might want to take a look at the telecommunications industry. Many of these companies provide services to small towns and rural areas. All of the following companies have market caps greater than $400 million, PE ratios less than 40, PEG ratios less than 9 [for some reason, PEGs are much higher on telecom stocks than other industries], and pay dividends. The huge telecom companies, such as Verizon (VZ) and Sprint Nextel (S) have been excluded from this list. Consolidated Communications Holdings (CNSL) provides telecommunications services to customers in Illinois, Texas and Pennsylvania. ... Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:15:05 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/677/ Many investors think that the perfect stock is one that sells for a low price and pays a high yield. It may be hard to believe but there are actually several stocks, including closed end funds or CEF's, that sell for less than $5 a share and pay a dividend, with five of the stocks with yields in excess of 6%. All of the following stocks pay quarterly unless otherwise specified. Also, all of the following have market caps above $265 million. Just remember that the yields are based on historical payments, and the dividends can be adjusted or terminated at any time. Zweig Fund (ZF) is a CEF with an objective of capital appreciation primarily through investment in equity securities. The stock has a PE of 12. The stock has a yield of 10.4%.... Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:14:33 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/676/ Top Energy Analyst Interview: Barron's talks with Arjun N. Murti, a top energy analyst at Goldman Sachs Group. Arjun is famous for predicting a super spike in oil when crude was trading at $40 a barrel. Among his bullish picks are ConocoPhillips (COP) and Cabot Oil & Gas (COG). Hybrid Fund Manager Interview: Barron's talks with Jim Stratton, manager of Stratton Multi-Cap Fund (STRGX). The hybrid fund invests in large, mid and small cap stocks and currently has bullish bets on Mirant (MIR) and General Cable (BGC). Ethanol Stock Picks: This article says ethanol producers are trading below book value and could rally in the coming year. Names mentioned included Verasun Energy (VSE) and Aventine Renewable Energy (AVR). Speaking o... Sun, 08 Jun 2008 19:30:31 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/675/ Shorts were the ticket for this week's winner in TheStreet.com's Beat the Street stock-picking game. The winning portfolio of R. Denisenko contained five shorts. The stocks were CIT (CIT), Radian (RDN), MBIA (MBI), Ambak (ABK) and PMI (PMI). Playing under the name Ksokso, Denisenko totaled $290,033 to capture the $5,000 prize in Week 9 of the game. The big theme this week seemed to be shorting the mortgage insurers. In second place was Lapas3, with all shorts and one long, and a portfolio total of $289,370. Third place went to Drpookie with an all-short portfolio and a total of $289,081. Coincidentally, Drpookie also was short PMI, Ambak and MBI. As you get ready for Week 10 of the game, be sure to review the following a... Sun, 08 Jun 2008 01:15:00 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/674/ Many of the readers of my previous articles about buying dividends were concerned that they didn't have enough time to look at the stocks going ex-dividend for the following week. So for this article, I'm listing the stocks that are going ex-dividend for the next threeweeks. The following nineteen stocks, which are going ex-dividend, have yields greater than 3%, P/E ratios of 18 or less and PEG ratios less than 1.9%. Quest Capital (QCC), 6/11/2008, 4.81%, P/E: 13, PEG: 1.06. United Bankshares (UBSI), 6/11/2008, 4.14%, P/E: 13, PEG: 1.62. Worthington Industries (WOR), 6/11/2008, 3.48%, P/E: 18, PEG: 1.19. C&F Financial (CFFI), 6/11/2008, 4.44%, P/E: 11, PEG: 1.38. Corus Entertainment (CJR), 6/11/2008, 3.13%, P/... Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:12:28 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/673/ If you are looking for a stock that is recession-proof, generates worldwide sales and pays a high yield, you may be looking for a cigarette stock. About 5.5 trillion cigarettes are produced annually and smoked by over one-sixth of the world's population. Here are some cigarette companies with dividends that are smokin'. Vector Group (VGR) is a Florida-based company whose numerous brands of cigarettes include Liggett, Grand Prix, Eve, Pyramid and nicotine-free Quest. The stock has a P/E of 17.576 and a PEG of 1.54 , and it pays a yield of 9 %. Reynolds American (RAI) makes and markets cigarettes and other tobacco products, including the Camel, Kool, Pall Mall, Doral, Winston, Salem, Misty, Capri, Dunhill, State Express 555 and Na... Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:45:37 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/672/ With the proliferation of casinos all across the United States, especially on Native American reservations, there may be an opportunity in the manufacturers of the slot machines, video poker machines and bingo machines. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, because of the growth of and increasing popularity of Indian casinos and racinos (a racetrack with a casino), employment in gaming services occupations is projected to grow by 23% between 2006 and 2016, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. You will have to decide if any of the following stocks are worth betting on. International Game Technology (IGT) makes and sells computerized slot, video poker slot and other gaming equipment and network syste... Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:20:59 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/671/ If you are looking for a high income and you think that real estate has bottomed out, you should take a look at real estate investment trusts, which avoid taxation at the corporate level because they pass through at least 90% of their taxable income to their shareholders. Sometimes a portion of the income may be non-taxable. All of the following stocks have yields of 10% or more, P/E ratios below 17 and PEG ratios below 2.2. Remember: Dividends are subject to change or termination. However, most of these stocks have been paying dividends for at least a few years. Arbor Realty Trust (ABR) is a debt-oriented REIT that invests in real estate bridge and mezzanine loans, mortgage-backed securities and discounted mortgage notes. It has ... Mon, 02 Jun 2008 10:26:57 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/670/ Amazing stockpicking this week. R. Dunn under the name "Wiggs13" put together a globetrotting long basket of stocks that returned a solid 17.9% for the week. The winning portfolio in TheStreet.com's Beat the Street game had exposure to a wide range of industries and countries, ranging from a Silicon Valley software company to a giant Russian steel producer. R. Dunn finished with a cumulative portfolio value of $294,890.80, led by positions in Wind River Systems (WIND), Joy Global (JOYG), Mechel (MTL), Daktronics (DAKT) and Petrohawk Energy (HK). Full marks to R. Dunn on top-notch stockpicking! As you get ready for Week 9 of the game, be sure to review the following articles to help you find the next group to make a big ... Sun, 01 Jun 2008 14:46:30 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/669/ Small-Cap Value Interview: Barron's talks with portfolio managers James A. Skinner III and W. Whitney George, who run the Royce Value Plus Fund (RYVPX), which focuses on small-cap value stocks. The duo has bullish bets on Knight Capital Group (NITE) and NovaGold Resources (NG). Speaking of Dividends: This Barron's column highlights the latest dividend increases, initiations and cutbacks. This week there’s information on Deere & Company (DE) and Tidewater (TDW). Bullish and Bearish: Each week, Barron's publishes bullish and bearish stories on a variety of stocks. We present summaries of those stories in this portfolio. This week, there are bullish stories on General Motors (GM), Markel (MKL) and Eaton (ETN). Latest A... Sun, 01 Jun 2008 02:01:17 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/668/ The technique of “buying dividends” is to buy a stock shortly before it goes ex-dividend and sell it after the ex-dividend date at break-even or at a slight profit, taking advantage of the fact that you earn the dividend with your money tied up for just a very short period of time. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of buying dividends, you should check out my previous article, Buying Dividends. The following stocks all go ex-dividend next week, have yields of 3.5% or greater, P/Es at or below 15 and PEG ratios below 2.0. Triangle Capital (TCAP): 6/3/2008, 10.28%, P/E: 9, PEG: 0.46 Bank of America (BAC): 6/4/2008, 7.37%, P/E: 15 ,PEG: 2.00 Euroseas (ESEA): 6/4/2008, 6.83%, P/E: 8, PEG: 1.21 Re... Thu, 29 May 2008 13:05:32 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/667/ Some facts about uranium: 1. It is about 70% more dense than lead. 2. It occurs naturally in low concentrations in most rocks and water. 3. It has the highest atomic weight of the naturally occurring elements. 4. It was discovered in 1789 and named after the planet Uranus. 5. Its radioactive properties were uncovered in 1896. 6. It was first used as a fuel in the nuclear power industry in 1934. 7. One kilogram of uranium-235 can theoretically produce about as much electricity as 1,500 tons of coal. The following companies are involved in the uranium industry in some way – though for some of the larger companies, uranium is only a small part of their business. All of these companies trade either on the New York Stock E... Tue, 27 May 2008 11:38:42 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/666/ When the stock market is volatile or in a bearish mode, investors turn toward income-producing securities. The baby boomers are also starting to reach retirement age and are looking for income, tax reduction and safety. Tax-free dividend stocks, or more correctly, tax-free closed-end funds, fill this need. These CEFs invest in municipal bonds with interest that is tax-free for federal tax purposes and exempt from state income taxes for residents of the state in which the bonds are issued. One of the highest-yielding tax-free stocks (CEFs are referred to as stocks for the purpose of this article) is BlackRock Municipal Income Trust (BFK), which yields 6.3%. The CEF has been paying monthly dividends since 2002. It invests in municipal bo... Tue, 27 May 2008 11:32:24 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/665/ Wave power is the capture of the energy from waves on the surface of the ocean. It is one of the newer forms of renewable, or “green,” energy under development, not as advanced as solar energy, fuel cells, wind power, ethanol, geothermal companies, and flywheels. However, interest in wave power is increasing and may be the wave of the future in coastal areas (no pun intended). All of the following companies participate in wave power, however for most of the following stocks, wind power is only a very small part their business. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PCG) is building the first American commercial wave power plant in Northern California, in conjunction with Finavera, which will be located 2.5 miles offshore and... Tue, 27 May 2008 11:19:42 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/664/ Hedge Fund Interview: Barron's talks with hedge fund manager Sy Jacobs, founder of New York's JAM Asset Management, which runs two funds, both focused on financial stocks. He currently has bearish bets on Hudson City Bancorp (HCBK) and Wells Fargo (WFC) and a bullish bet on MGIC Investment (MTG) among others. Ira Sohn Conference Stock Picks: Barron's highlighted some investment ideas presented at the Ira Sohn Investment Research Conference, a poplar public forum that brings together hedge-fund managers and investment professionals. Some Wall Street stars like Bill Ackman, Bill Miller, Carl Icahn and David Einhorn were in attendance. Some of the stocks the heavyweights like are Citigroup (C), Wendy's (WEN) and Fording Coal (FDG). Bull... Sun, 25 May 2008 01:36:03 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/663/ Memorial Day is upon us and while it's not traditionally a gift-giving holiday, we wanted to give our readers something to celebrate the long weeked, so we've made RealMoney free from today through Monday. That's right, as you get ready for the unofficial start of summer, you can peruse some of the best investment analysis and commentary on the Internet. Don't miss this chance to read how Jim Cramer, Tony Crescenzi, Vince Farrell and the rest of our elite group of pros are wading through the current market. And if you like what you see, be sure to sign up for RealMoney and have access to this top-flight information every trading day. As always, let's stay interactive. Fri, 23 May 2008 22:44:33 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/662/ An all-short portfolio on the airline sector pushed R. Denisenko to victory in Week 7 of TheStreet.com's Beat the Street contest. The airline stocks took it on the chin this week as ramping oil prices slammed the whole air transport industry. The ursine bets on the airlines worked because trading in airlines reflected the shocking high fuel prices. Denisenko, under the player name "Amor13," finished with a portfolio value of $338,986.89, with a mind-blowing 35.6% weekly gain. However, it was not enough to just be short any airline stock, as many traders made similar bets. To win the cash prize, Amor13 was able to pick the worst performing (short side trades) airlines stocks for the week. Just as with solar stocks last week... Fri, 23 May 2008 22:39:27 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/661/ Do you know when the first recorded use of a windmill was? It was first used in the first century. Can you guess what it was used for? It was used to power an organ. Last year, I wrote an article about the stocks of companies that are involved directly in the windmill, wind power and wind energy business. Unfortunately, most of them were either foreign companies or pink sheet stocks or both. However, there are many companies involved in the wind energy business on a peripheral basis, such as the manufacturers of the material used in windmill blades. Here are some wind energy related stocks, all of which have market caps over $900 million. American Superconductor (AMSC) has an AMSC Power Systems division that markets electrical sys... Fri, 23 May 2008 12:43:50 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/660/ A ”Dead Cat Bounce” takes place when a stock has a slight rise after a sharp drop. To utilize this type of investment opportunity, you would want to find a stock with favorable financials (although great financials are not absolutely necessary) that has had a significant drop, with the anticipation that the stock should have a slight rise after the drop. The following stocks all have market caps over $250 million, P/E ratios below 20 and PEG ratios below 1.7, and they have all just traded at 52-week lows. Three of the stocks pay dividends. You may not consider these true dead cat bounces, because for some the drop was gradual, not sharp. Citizens Republic Bancorp (CRBC) is a bank holding company that operates in Mic... Wed, 21 May 2008 12:11:17 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/659/ If you are unfamiliar with the concept of “buying dividends,” you should check out my previous article, called Buying Dividends. Basically the technique is to buy stocks shortly before they go ex-dividend and to sell after the ex-dividend date at break-even or at a slight profit, taking advantage of the fact that you earned the dividend with your money tied up for just a very short period of time. The following stocks all go ex-dividend next week and have yields of 5% or greater, P/Es below 25 and PEG ratios below 2.0. Cherokee (CHKE), 5/28/2008, 10.2%, PE: 16.0, PEG: 1.60 Great Plains Energy (GXP), 5/28/2008, 6.3%, PE: 12.5, PEG: 1.92 The Blackstone Group (BX), 5/28/2008, 6.0%, PE: 21.1, PEG: 1.19 ... Wed, 21 May 2008 12:08:06 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/658/ Last week, I wrote an article about Canadian technology companies. But beyond technology, mining and oil, Canada is home to over 135 publicly traded life-sciences-related companies. The following Canadian stocks have market caps above $250 million and trade either on the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ. MDS (MDZ) is an Ontario-based developer of products and services for the development of drugs and the treatment of diseases, including pharmaceutical contract research services and contract manufacturing services for the radio therapeutics industry. The stock has a P/E of 3 and a PEG of 3.46. Biovail (BVF) is a Mississauga, Ontario-based company that manufactures pharmaceutical products used for pain management and to treat centra... Wed, 21 May 2008 11:58:34 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/657/ As expected, the Labor Department reported yesterday that applications for jobless benefits rose slightly last week. New York had the biggest rise in such claims due in large part to layoffs in the transportation and service industries while neighboring New Jersey experienced one of the largest statewide declines in jobless benefit claims. The market interpreted the report as indicating the labor market remains weak but in check. It follows a slight drop in jobless claims in the week prior. CBS also made headlines with its announcement to acquire Cnet, an online technology news and entertainment company for $1.75 billion. Expected to close in the third quarter, CBS is hoping the deal will bolster its online presence. Meanwhile, GE i... Tue, 20 May 2008 10:01:44 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/656/ Earlier this month was the 60 year anniversary of the country of Israel. Last year I wrote an article about the highest yielding Israeli stocks. Since the Country just had its 60 year anniversary, now may be time to take a second look as Israel. Here are some interesting facts about the country: 1. It is ranked 22nd in per capita Gross Domestic Product. 2. It is ranked 23rd in terms of the Human Development Index. 3. They are the foreign country with more stocks listed on NASDAQ than any other country. 4. Warren Buffett purchased Iscar, an Israeli toolmaker for $4 billion. 5. The Tel Aviv 100 Index was up about 150% over the last five years. 6. Intel, Cisco, IBM, Micro?soft, Motorola, Lucent, and Oracle have made major investment... Sun, 18 May 2008 13:39:12 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/655/ Confessions Of A Short Seller: Barron's talks with Doug Kass, president of Seabreeze Partners Management, a hedge-fund with about $200 million in short positions. (Kass also is a contributor to TheStreet.com.) He currently has bearish bets on Kellogg (K), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Fastenal (FAST). International Equities Manager Interview: Barron's spoke with Virginie Maisonneuve, head of global and international equities at Schroder Investment Management. Maisonneuve currently oversees $22 billion, which includes 52% of Vanguard's International Growth Fund (VWIGX). She currently likes Syngenta (SYT) and Arcelor Mittal (MT). Speaking of Dividends: This Barron's column highlights the latest dividend increases, initiations and cut... Sun, 18 May 2008 13:36:02 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/654/ Solar stocks shined bright this week, launching A. Swords to victory in Week 6 of TheStreet.com's Beat the Street contest. The whole solar group ramped higher this week on the strength of stubbornly persistent high energy prices. A. Swords, under the player name "Golfscout8," finished the week with a portfolio value of $333,195.23, and a whopping 33.3% weekly gain. Over the past few weeks, diversification has proved the difference to taking home the $5,000 cash prize, but not so this week. The whole leader board was locked and loaded with explosive exposure to the solar sector. Golfscout8 was able to outmaneuver and pick better solar stocks than all of the other players who used the same trading strategy of long-only s... Sun, 18 May 2008 13:30:44 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/653/ One way that you can earn high returns is utilizing a technique called "buying dividends." Buying dividends is the process of buying a stock just before it goes ex-dividend and selling it shortly after the ex-dividend date at the same (or at a higher) amount than the cost price. The ex-dividend date is the date after which a buyer of the stock is no longer entitled to the dividend. In other words, if an investor purchases a stock on or after the ex-dividend date, the investor will not receive the dividend; however, if the stock is purchased prior to the ex-dividend date, the investor will receive the dividend on what is called the payment date. Another way to look at it is an investor can sell a stock on the ex-div date or lat... Thu, 15 May 2008 09:24:11 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/652/ Who would want to look for a stock that pays a dividend only twice a year rather than monthly or quarterly? There may be a few reasons. Maybe an investor owns some corporate or municipal bonds, but wants some income coming in, plus growth potential, during the months that no bond income is coming in. Also, an investor may prefer to receive fewer larger checks as opposed to receiving smaller checks more often. One thing that is interesting to note is that nine out of the top 10 semi-annual dividend stocks are foreign companies, which have American depositary shares, or ADRs, that trade in the U.S. CPFL Energia (CPL) is a Brazil-based generator and distributor of electricity. It has paid dividends since 2005. The stock has a P/E r... Tue, 13 May 2008 17:00:38 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/651/ Yes, there are a lot of publicly traded technology companies in Canada, including a couple of well-known names. Canada isn't just the home of oil and mining stocks, it has plenty of tech, life sciences and many other industries. All of the following companies are based in Canada, have market caps over $325 million and trade either on the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq. Research In Motion (RIMM) is a Waterloo, Ontario-based company that developed the BlackBerry. The stock has a P/E of 59 and a PEG of 1.01. Nortel Networks (NT) is a Toronto-based multinational telecommunications and networking equipment manufacturer. The stock has a forward P/E of 8.5 and a PEG of 2.29. CAE (CGT) this Quebec-based company, originally known... Mon, 12 May 2008 11:53:50 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/650/ Some facts about diamonds: 1. 130 million carats are mined every year. 2. They are the hardest known natural material. 3. The word diamond comes from the ancient Greek word for "invincible" or "untamed". 4. About half of all diamonds come from central and southern Africa. 5. Other major diamond producing companies include Canada, India, Russia, Brazil and Australia. 6. A blue diamond sold for about $8 million last year. The following are some of the major diamond mining companies and jewelry retailers. Harry Winston Diamond Corp (HWD) is involved in the mining and marketing of diamonds and in retailing fine jewelry and watches. This Toronto-based company was founded in 1980. It owns almost half of the D... Mon, 12 May 2008 11:47:21 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/649/ Cover Story: The Top 500 Companies: Barron's reshuffled their list of the top 500 companies. Among the top 5 this year were BlackRock (BLK), Research In Motion (RIMM) and Charles Schwab (SCHW). Value Manager Interview: Barron's spoke with David Katz, portfolio manager at Matrix Advisors Value Fund (MAVFX). He's currently bullish on Cisco Systems (CSCO), Morgan Stanley (MS) and Monster Worldwide (MNST). Speaking of Dividends: This Barron's column highlights the latest dividend increases, initiations and cutbacks. This week there's information on PepsiCo (PEP), Yum Brands (YUM) and Barrick Gold (ABX). Bullish and Bearish: Each week, Barron's publishes bullish and bearish stories on a variety of stocks. We present summaries of thos... Sat, 10 May 2008 22:11:08 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/648/ An interesting mix of long and short energy was the ticket to winning the $5,000 cash prize in TheStreet.com's Beat the Street game this week. B. Rossetto, under the player name "Brucrsd," had the winning portfolio with a value of $300,331.30. Brucrsd has three long positions and two shorts. The long positions were James River Coal (JRCC), Gran Tierra Energy (GTE) and Lindsay (LNN). The shorts were Cheniere Energy (LNG) and US Airways (LCC). Congrats to B. Rossetto on good diversification and even better stock-picking! In second place was "RTeon1" with $299,263.87; "JKagain" finished third with $296,368.70. Let's take a look at some of the game's stats for the week. There were 7,509 players ... Sat, 10 May 2008 10:24:48 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/647/ Gene therapy is the process of inserting genes into human cells and tissues for the treatment of diseases, including hereditary diseases. The first gene therapy procedure was performed in 1990 on a four-year old girl who was born with severe combined immunodeficiency, a rare genetic disease, also known as 'bubble boy' disease or SCID. Gene therapy can also involve the use of stem cells. In 1993, a baby was tested with genetic screening before birth which showed that he had SCID. Cord Blood was removed from the baby boy's placenta and umbilical cord immediately after he was born and the stem cells were extracted, mixed with retroviruses, and injected with working ADA genes into the boy's blood stream. The boy's T-cells made their own A... Sat, 10 May 2008 10:20:01 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/646/ May 11 is Mother's Day, so if you haven't done the shopping for your mother and/or wife, then you'd better get a move on. You may want to consider a gift of some shares in companies that may participate in sales of Mother's Day-related products. Here are a few that can benefit from the widely celebrated day, including those involved in the sale of chocolate, flowers and jewelry. Don't forget the greeting card and gift wrap. Hershey (HSY), founded in 1894, is the largest manufacturer of chocolate in North America and one of the largest chocolate and candy companies in the world. Hershey's Kisses were invented in 1901. Hershey chocolate chips were introduced in 1928. The stock has a P/E of 47, a PEG of 3 and a favorable yield of 3.1%.... Fri, 09 May 2008 09:31:44 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/645/ The Pink Sheets are the arena where stocks trade that don't trade on the large exchanges, such as the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq. Many foreign stocks have American depositary receipts, also known as ADRs, that trade on the Pink Sheets, and the Pinks have been a haven for many penny stock scams, but there are also many solid U.S. companies that trade there also. There was a rumor going around that the Pink Sheets company may be considering going public through an IPO. Do you know where the name Pink Sheets came from? These over-the-counter stocks were originally listed on long pieces of pink paper, showing the name of the market maker and the current bid and ask prices. The following stocks all have market caps of more than $... Thu, 08 May 2008 17:01:25 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/644/ During the last couple years, the air courier stocks have significantly underperformed the Dow Jones Industrial Average. They have been hit hard by the high cost of fuel, so maybe there might be a contrarian opportunity with these stocks. Here are the publicly traded air courier stocks. FedEx (FDX) is one of the leading air courier and logistics companies in the U.S. It also owns FedEx Kinkos. The stock has a P/E of 15 and a PEG of 1.44. The yield is 0.4%. TNT N.V. (TNTTY.PK) is a Dutch global express and mail delivery services company. It has operations in 65 countries and deliver to over 200 companies. The stock has a P/E of 12. United Parcel Service (UPS) is the largest package delivery company in the world. It has 6.1 mil... Mon, 05 May 2008 10:37:44 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/643/ With the 134th Kentucky Derby this weekend, investors are taking a closer look at horse racing stocks. The stakes for the Derby are over $1.4 million and over 150,000 spectators are expected. The following are some of the stocks involved in the horse racing industry. Churchill Downs Inc. (CHDN), the home of the legendary Kentucky Derby, owns several racetracks, off-track betting facilities, and Churchill Downs Simulcast Productions. Their P/E is 42 and their PEG is 3.83, with a yield of 1%. Latest quarterly revenue growth was up 10.9%. Their earnings call is scheduled for May 7. Canterbury Park Holding Corp. (ECP) operates year-round pari-mutuel wagering on simulcast and live horse races, along with track concessions and a card ... Sun, 04 May 2008 12:11:28 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/642/ Speaking of Dividends: This Barron's column highlights the latest dividend increases, initiations and cutbacks. This week there’s information on IBM (IBM), Exxon Mobil (XOM) and Chevron (CVX). Bullish and Bearish: Each week Barron's has bullish and bearish stories on a variety of stocks. We present the summaries in this portfolio. This week, there are bullish stories on Melco PBL Entertainment (MPEL), General Dynamics (GD) and Time Warner (TWX) plus a bearish piece on Cisco Systems (CSCO). Latest Activist Purchases: Which companies are the top hedge funds chasing? This week’s list includes names like Circuit City (CC), Enzon Pharmaceutical (ENZN) and Bronco Drilling (BRNC). Research Reports: The latest analyst re... Sun, 04 May 2008 12:09:39 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/641/ Yet again, diversification proved the difference in taking home the $5,000 cash prize in TheStreet.com's Beat the Street game. Everyone knows that a well-balanced and diversified portfolio is the key to long-term investing success, but who would have guessed that diversification can pay cash money in a weekly trading game? W. Zhou, under the player name "Vivicat," finished with a portfolio value of $313,738.44. Vivicat is the second player to break the $300,000 barrier, with an outstanding 25.5% weekly gain. Coming into the last day of trading on Friday, it looked for sure that a long-only portfolio of airline stocks would take the treasure and glory. However, to the surprise of many, the biggest weekly gain came from a mix of... Sun, 04 May 2008 12:06:47 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/640/ When the stock market drops or gets choppy, there is a flight to conservative high income investments. Recently, I wrote an article about monthly dividend stocks, although many of them might be considered risky. Electric utilities, in spite of the fact that a few have run into rough patches, are considered by many investors to be safer than other stocks. Although consumers may cut back on buying new clothing or consumer products or go out to eat less during a recession, most people will continue to pay their electric utility bill. Here are some of the highest-yielding electric utility stocks. One of the highest-yielding utilities is Great Plains Energy (GXP), a Kansas City, Mo.-based utility that yields 6.5%. Their electrical genera... Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:29:48 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/639/ The 'green' category encompasses a lot of industries, including solar energy stocks, it can include fuel cell stocks, there is wind power, there are ethanol stocks, and even geothermal companies. Since it is Green Week, here are some of the top alternative energy stocks in various industries. First Solar, Inc. (FSLR) is the leader in thin film semiconductor technology. This Phoenix, Arizona makes and markets a thin layer of cadmium telluride semiconductor material. The stock has a PE of 1.42 and a PEG of 2.42. A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device which produces electricity from external supplies of fuel and an oxidant. They can operate continuously, as long as the flow continues between the fuel and the oxidant... Sun, 27 Apr 2008 10:29:19 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/638/ Deep-Value Hedge Fund Interview: Barron's spoke with Robert Marcin, a contributor to TheStreet.com, and Steve Epstein partners at Defiance Asset Management. Marcin and Epstein are deep-value managers who run over $500 million under a hedge-fund structure that goes long and short stocks. Some of the stocks they’re currently bullish on are Cummins (CMI) and Skechers (SKX). Big Money Favorites: Barron's conducted a poll of big money institutional investors to find out if they’re bearish or bullish on the stock market. The big money said their favorite stocks are (GOOG) and Apple (AAPL) among others. Dollar Rebound Stock Losers: Barron's thinks the dollar could be ready to rally and the short-dollar, long-commodity trade... Sun, 27 Apr 2008 10:28:46 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/637/ The women suffered their first loss in TheStreet.com's Beat the Street this week, with an ironic twist. J. Thomas helped the men post their first victory with, get this, shoe stocks! Who said that it was only women who love shoes? It pays big for men to love shoes as well. J. Thomas, under the player name "Bandit7," finished with a portfolio value of $305,943.47. Bandit7 is the first player to break the $300,000 barrier with an impressive 22.3% weekly gain. He rocketed into first place led by long shoe positions in Deckers(DECK - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr) and Skechers(SKX - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr). For those of you unfamiliar with Deckers, they are the makers of the popular Uggs shoes. Uggs came into vogue with the h... Sat, 26 Apr 2008 10:55:58 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/636/ In the United States, approximately 14 million adults per year are affected by depression, and according to the World Health Organization, depression causes the suffering of an estimated 121 million people throughout the world and is expected to become the second leading cause of disability worldwide by the year 2020. With these numbers, the demand for antidepressants is expected to grow significantly Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY) has the eighth best selling drug, Zyprexa, used to treat schizophrenia, and has a patent expiration of 2011. It also has Cymbalta for treating depression. Lilly has a PE of 19, a PEG of 1.81, and a yield of 3.6%. Forest Laboratories Inc. (FRX) has the drug Lexapro, also known as Cipralex which expires in 2012. T... Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:25:09 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/635/ Hedge Fund Interview: Barron's talks with Steve Tananbaum from GoldenTree Asset Management. Tananbaum is a value investor who oversees $14 billion in assets, much of it in hedge funds. He’s currently bullish on Time Warner (TWX) and Liberty Global (LBTYA). Chuck Bath Interview: Barron's spoke with Chuck Bath, managing director of equities and fund manager of the Diamond Hill Investments Large Cap Fund (DHLAX). He's currently bullish on United Technologies (UTX), Anadarko (APC) and Sysco (SYY) among others. Bullish and Bearish: Each week Barron's has bullish and bearish stories on a variety of stocks. We present the summaries in this portfolio. This week's issue includes a bullish story on Kimberly Clark (KMB) and Google (GOO... Sun, 20 Apr 2008 13:20:41 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/634/ Note: All winning portfolios and players are subject to verification. C. Wrenn, under the player name "Nascar," held tightly onto the lead going into the final day of trading and claimed victory in Week Two of Beat the Street with an impressive 19.3% return for the week. Wrenn held a $2,945 advantage coming into Friday, and was able expand the margin of victory to $3,479, holding off bullish onslaughts from portfolios holding Google(GOOG), Baidu (BIDU) and Pozen (POZN). Wrenn's portfolio was led by long holdings of Metalico (MEA), Adtran (ADTN), Knight Capital (NITE), Eaton (ETN), and Yingli Green Energy Holding (YGE). Of note, Wrenn did have ProShares UltraShort QQQ (QID), an ETF, in an original portfolio that was swa... Sun, 20 Apr 2008 13:14:32 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/633/ Usually when stocks hit a 52-week low, there is usually a reason for the price to be at that level. However, occasionally you may be able to find gems in the junk. Jim Cramer said that you should only consider a stock that hits a 52-week low if there is significant insider buying and a favorable balance sheet. Here is a list of New York Stock Exchange stocks, all of which are recently trading at their lows, that may be worth a closer look. Western Refining (WNR) is an independent crude oil refiner and marketer of oil products which just closed at a 52 week low. The stock has had 17,485 shares purchased by insiders, and no insider sellers in the last 6 months. Also, the company has a 1.8 current ratio. It has a P/E of 3.3, a PEG of 1.... Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:00:26 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/632/ First, some trivia about Poland: 1. It is the ninth largest country in Europe. 2. It is ranked 24th in the world in terms of Gross Domestic Product. 3. It is ranked 39th in the world for Human Development Index. 4. GDP grew by 6.1% in 2006. 5. Between 2007 and 2010, the Polish government plans to privatize twenty companies through IPO's. 6. Their unemployment rate dropped six percentage points between 2006 and 2008. 7. Poland produces the Leopard car. Here are some Polish stocks that trade in the U.S. Central European Distribution (CEDC) although based in Pennsylvania, produces and distributes vodka, beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages in Poland. The brands that they import include Carlo Rossi Wines, Remy Martin Cognac, ... Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:13:11 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/631/ With this market volatility, more and more investors are turning to high-dividend payers, and preferably ones that pay monthly to help reduce the volatility and accelerate the return of capital. In addition, baby boomers who are looking to retire are also looking for stocks that pay dividends monthly. The following are a few of the top 49, culled down from the list of more than 350 monthly dividend stocks.For purposes of this article, closed end funds and oil income trusts are considered stocks. One of the highest-yielding monthly dividend stocks is Harvest Energy Trust (HTE), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange and yields 15.3%. Harvest is a Canadian Oil Income Trust that explores for and produces petroleum and natural gas ... Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:59:11 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/630/ Jim Rogers Interview: Barron's talks with legendary investor Jim Rogers, author of Adventure Capitalist. He's currently bearish on Lennar (LEN) and Citigroup (C) and bullish on Japan Airlines (JALSY.PK) among others. Cascade Fund Holdings: Barron's took a look at the current holdings of Bill Gates' 14-year-old investment fund, Cascade Investments. Gates has a stake in stocks like PlanetOut (LGBT), Pacific Ethanol (PEIX) and Canadian National Railway (CNI) among others. Bullish and Bearish: Each week Barron's has bullish and bearish stories on a variety of stocks. We present the summaries in this portfolio. This week's issue includes a bullish story on General Electric (GE), Valero Energy (VLO) and a bearish piece on Lululemon Athlet... Sat, 12 Apr 2008 21:06:59 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/629/ Note: All winning portfolios and players are subject to verification. Wow! What an exciting finish to our first trading week at the Beat the Street contest. It was a very close race, with only $776.12 separating first and second place. The bears took charge from the ring of the morning bell off the painful General Electric (GE) numbers and allowed D. Thomas, under the player name "Rudegal," to catapult into first place. Thomas vaulted from eighth place yesterday, led by an all-short portfolio returning an amazing 15.8% for the week. The winning picks are National City (NCC), MF Global (MF), First Marblehead (FMD), MCG Capital (MCGC) and Steelcase (SCS). As you get ready for Week 2 of the game, be sure to review the ... Sat, 12 Apr 2008 12:31:45 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/628/ Russia has a strong growing economy and as a BRIC stock, is one of the four horsemen for worldwide investment opportunities, along with the 'B' in BRIC, Brazil, the 'I' in BRIC, India, and the 'C' in BRIC, China. Russian stocks have become so popular that some alcoholic drinks are named after Russian stocks. The following are companies that are based in Russia that trade either on the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ. Mechel Open Joint Stock Company (MTL) is a mining and steel production company. The stock has a PE of 22 , and a PEG of 4.55 . Mobile Telesystems OJSC (MBT) is a provider of cellular telecommunications services in Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. The stock has a PE of 18 , and a PEG of 1.01 . R... Sat, 12 Apr 2008 12:28:49 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/627/ On Stockpickr Answers Thursday and yesterday, Jim Cramer responded to a new batch of questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community. Anybody can ask, respond or comment at Stockpickr Answers; the top responders get ranked in our "Top Analysts" section. Here are a few of the questions to which Cramer recently responded. (Note: You may have to scroll through several answers to see Cramer's.) Why are the steel stocks down? Do you think it's time to buy some up on this pullback? Click here for Cramer's answer to this question. I shorted my first stock today -- US Steel (X) at 144.41. Wish me luck. Click here for Cramer's response. EMC (EMC) has spent so much time in the cellar. VMware (VMW) just ripped up, and ... Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:49:41 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/626/ On Stockpickr Answers Wednesday and yesterday, Jim Cramer responded to a new batch of questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community. Anybody can ask, respond or comment at Stockpickr Answers; the top responders get ranked in our "Top Analysts" section. Here are a few of the questions to which Cramer recently responded. (Note: You may have to scroll through several answers to see Cramer's.) What is the feeling on mining stocks like Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) and Teck Cominco (TCK) in the short term? Click here for Cramer's answer to this question. Do you think we'll see the U.S. dollar strengthen after the FOMC minutes are released? I'm pretty sure the last policy statement at least made an attempt to appease tho... Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:23:30 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/625/ On Stockpickr Answers Tuesday and yesterday, Jim Cramer responded to a new batch of questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community. Anybody can ask, respond or comment at Stockpickr Answers; the top responders get ranked in our "Top Analysts" section. Here are a few of the questions to which Cramer recently responded. (Note: You may have to scroll through several answers to see Cramer's.) With a recent pullback here in International Game Technology (IGT), what are your thoughts on jumping into this one? Click here for Cramer's answer to this question. Despite its rather poor (but not horrible, especially year over year) guidance, Arch Coal (ACI) has bounced a point off of the lows from the day and looks to be ... Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:52:57 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/624/ There is much controversy and criticism with regards to investments in U.S. bonds and stocks by sovereign wealth funds, government-operated investment accounts that invest in the assets of other countries. These assets can include government bonds, stocks and real estate. Most concerns with these investments arise from a lack of transparency from these investments, and the possible abuse of control of the investments. The Treasury Department estimates that there is as much as $2.5 trillion in sovereign wealth fund assets. The following are some of the major sovereign investments in American and European stocks. The China Investment Corporation made a $3 billion investment in the Blackstone Group (BX), the private equity and inve... Mon, 07 Apr 2008 10:05:14 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/623/ The next two to four years are an important time frame for many pharmaceutical companies. It is when many of the top-selling drugs go off patent. Here is a list of the large pharma companies with some of their top-selling drugs that are set to "expire" and open up to competition. AstraZeneca (AZN) has the cholesterol drug Crestor, which is set to go off patent in the year 2012. This was recently ranked the 42nd best selling drug. Its asthma drug, Symbicort, expires the same year. Its Seroquel, an antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia and the 16th best selling drug, expires 2011. The stock has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 11, a P/E-to-growth (PEG) ratio of 2.77 and pays a yield of 4.6%. Eli Lilly (LLY) has the eig... Mon, 07 Apr 2008 09:57:01 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/622/ Biotech Analyst Interview: Barron's spoke with Tony Yao, biotech analyst for Janus Capital Management. He’s currently bullish on are Celgene (CELG) and Allergan (AGN). Top 10 Mutual Funds For A Recession: Barron's compiled a list of all-star mutual funds that investors should consider during tough times. Some of the names Barron’s favored were the Permanent Portfolio Fund (PRPFX), Sentinel Capital Growth (BRGRX) and the James Balanced: Golden Rainbow Fund (GLRBX). High-Yielding Utility Stock Picks: Barron's had an interesting article that said shares of the largest regulated utilities could advance by 10% to 15% in the next year, as profits grow and dividends rise. Some of the names mentioned were PG&E (PCG) and ... Sun, 06 Apr 2008 16:21:02 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/621/ Ford Motor (F) stock should certainly be considered a speculation, with the U.S. economy in a probable recession and the price of a barrel of gas above $100. The company just announced that they are reducing costs by merging their global vehicle development operations and purchasing operations. Although their revenues were up 9.5% for the latest quarter, the diluted earnings per share were a negative $1.38 per share. However, there are other ways of investing in Ford besides the Ford common stock. There is the Ford Motor Capital Trust II 6.50% Cumulative Convertible Trust Preferred Securities due January 15, 2032 (F-PS). These securities trade on the New York Stock Exchange and provide quarterly payments. There are also the CorTS Tr... Fri, 04 Apr 2008 09:52:15 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/620/ On Stockpickr Answers Wednesday and yesterday, Jim Cramer responded to a new batch of questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community. Cramer daily updates his blog for RealMoney and trades for Action Alerts PLUS, a portfolio of stocks -- including names like Yamana Gold (AUY), Altria (MO) and EMC (EMC) -- the profits of which are donated to charity. Anybody can ask, respond or comment at Stockpickr Answers; the top responders get ranked in our "Top Analysts" section. Here are a few of the questions to which Cramer recently responded. (Note: You may have to scroll through several answers to see Cramer's.) Research In Motion (RIMM) Wednesday -- I think it's going to report a pretty good quarter ... either way I thi... Wed, 02 Apr 2008 10:08:42 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/619/ It seems like every major studio has at least one successful movie. The top 10 motion picture box office hits for the end of the first quarter, and the companies that distribute them, are as follows: 21: Distributed by Columbia Pictures, which is owned by Sony (SNE). Price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 15.5, P/E-to-growth (PEG) ratio of 0.92 and yield of 0.5%. Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation subsidiary of News Corp. (NWS-A). P/E is 18, PEG is 1.06, yield is 0.6%. Superhero Movie: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., subsidiary of Sony and Comcast (CMCSA). P/E is 23, PEG is 1.42 and yield is 1.3%. Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns: Lions Gate Entertainment (LGF). Forward P/E of 28. Drillbit Taylor: Par... Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:13:46 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/618/ On Stockpickr Answers Monday and over the weekend, Jim Cramer responded to a new batch of questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community. Anybody can ask, respond or comment at Stockpickr Answers; the top responders get ranked in our "Top Analysts" section. Here are a couple of questions to which Cramer recently responded. (Note: You may have to scroll through several answers to see Cramer's.) I'm glad I kept some Gushan Environmental Energy (GU) after selling about half my shares yesterday. What a way to go into the weekend! I really want to stay with this pick long term but I have learned my lessons from not taking profits before and am selling the rest of my position (mainly because I'm getting killed in the maj... Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:53:42 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/617/ Many investors believe that Pink Sheets stocks are speculative and dangerous investments. I've even been criticized for mentioning Pink Sheet stocks in some of my articles, in spite of the fact that the stocks I mentioned were major large-cap companies. Pink Sheet stocks shouldn't be dismissed out of hand as sometimes that is the only way to invest in many foreign stocks. As a matter of fact, dozens of European companies have opted out of trading on the New York Stock Exchange and have decided to have their ADRs traded over the counter. Here are ten of the top Pink Sheet stocks, based on market cap, price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios, and P/E-to-growth (PEG) ratios. Roche Holding (RHHBY) is a Switzerland-based company that is one o... Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:03:39 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/616/ Did you know that during the 1930s and 1940s, asthma was considered a psychosomatic disease? It is now one of the fastest increasing medical conditions in the U.S. that reportedly affects one out of every four urban children, according to the Journal of Allergy Clinical Immunology. If you didn't see James Altucher's video about George Soros, in which Altucher discusses asthma stocks, you should take a look at it. Here are 10 companies involved in the production and marketing of drugs for the treatment of asthma. Obviously, this is a small part of the business of some of the major pharmaceutical companies. But when the second best-selling drug in the world is used to treat asthma, this is apparently a major business opportunity. Gla... Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:55:59 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/615/ Hedge Fund Manager Interview: Barron's spoke with Tom Claugus, hedge fund manager at Bay Resource Partners. Among stocks he currently is bullish on are HII Holdings (NIHD) and Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ), and he holds a bearish view on Crocs (CROX). Barron's Speaking Of Dividends: This Barron's column highlights the latest dividend increases, initiations, and cutbacks. This week's issue includes some information on Raytheon (RTN) among others. Research Reports: The latest analyst research reports highlighted by Barron's including reports this week on Bear Stearns (BSC), Sirius Satellite (SIRI) and Tivo (TIVO). Bullish and Bearish: Each week Barron's has bullish and bearish stories on a variety of stocks. We present the sum... Sun, 30 Mar 2008 01:31:17 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/614/ On Stockpickr Answers Friday and yesterday, Jim Cramer responded to a new batch of questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community. Anybody can ask, respond or comment at Stockpickr Answers; the top responders get ranked in our "Top Analysts" section. Here are a few of the questions to which Cramer recently responded. (Note: You may have to scroll through several answers to see Cramer's.) Cramer has been a buyer of Foster Wheeler. A while back he said the company has been winning "too many contracts." I'm thinking about getting back into Foster Wheeler. Are they still winning these contracts? How do you do homework on this? Click here for Cramer's answer to this question. Has anyone ever invested in SP... Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:38:29 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/613/ On Stockpickr Answers Thursday and yesterday, Jim Cramer responded to a new batch of questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community. Anybody can ask, respond or comment at Stockpickr Answers; the top responders get ranked in our "Top Analysts" section. Here are a few of the questions to which Cramer recently responded. (Note: You may have to scroll through several answers to see Cramer's.) What is up with the kids at Penn State on Wednesday's "Mad Money" show? Why did they pitch stocks that Cramer has already been all over for a long time like Allergen (AGN), Nike (NKE) and Raytheon (RTN)? The students at Indiana University gave us names like Spartan Motor (SPAR) that we hadn't had before, and these guys ... Thu, 27 Mar 2008 10:06:18 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/612/ On Stockpickr Answers Wednesday and yesterday, Jim Cramer responded to a new batch of questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community. Anybody can ask, respond or comment at Stockpickr Answers; the top responders get ranked in our "Top Analysts" section. Here are a few of the questions to which Cramer recently responded. (Note: You may have to scroll through several answers to see Cramer's.) I think the durable goods numbers are going to be a rationale to sell off this market -- get out your shopping lists! Click here for Cramer's response. Any current views on MedcoHealth Solutions (MHS) you can share with us -- do you think Wal-Mart (WMT) will cut into Medco's business model now that UnitedHealth Group (UNH) h... Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:36:59 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/611/ Since the price of oil has eased off a bit from its high recently, investors have been looking at Canadian income trusts, also known as Canadian oil income trusts or Canadian royalty trusts. These trusts pay a very high income by passing through all their earnings from oil and gas wells to the trust holders, similar to real estate investment trusts. There is no taxation at the corporate level since they are structured as trusts. Also, a portion of the dividends may be non-taxable due to depletion and depreciation deductions. A lot of changes have taken place with these trusts during the last year, including mergers, delistings and payout terminations. You should be aware that the Canadian government came out with a plan to tax all... Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:58:11 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/610/ World's 30 Best CEOs: Barron's came out with their fourth annual list of the 30 best corporate leaders in the world. Some new CEOs added to the list were James L. Balsillie and Michael Lazaridis of Research In Motion (RIMM) and John Chambers of Cisco Systems (CSCO). Removed from the list were Angelo Mozilo of Countrywide Financial (CFC) and John Mackey of Whole Foods (WFMI) among others. David Iben Interview: Barron's interviewed David Iben, manager of Nuveen Tradewinds Value Opportunities Fund (NVOAX). Some of the stocks Iben currently favors are Lihir Gold (LIHR) and eBay (EBAY). Barron's Speaking Of Dividends: This Barron’s column highlights the latest dividend increases, initiations, and cutbacks. This week's issue inclu... Sun, 23 Mar 2008 10:17:11 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/609/ Before we get to my list of Alaskan stocks, let's first indulge in some trivia about the 49th state: It is the largest state by area. It is only one of two states that does not have a border with another state. It is the 6th wealthiest state by median income. It ranks 3rd in the U.S. for Gross State Product. It has the lowest population density of any state. 80% of the state's revenue comes from oil. Its third largest export after oil and gas is seafood. It has the lowest individual tax burden in the U.S. It has no state sales tax. It has no individual income tax. Alaska Communications Systems (ALSK) is an Anchorage-based telecommunications company that provides local phone service, long distance phone service, ... Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:43:18 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/608/ Hawaii, the 50th state, is the birthplace for some interesting people: Barack Obama, Bette Midler and Nicole Kidman. It's also home to some interesting companies: Alexander & Baldwin (ALEX) is a Honolulu-based company that's is in the business of shipping, real estate, sugar cane and other agriculture. It's one of the largest landowners in Hawaii. The stock has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 13, a P/E-to-growth (PEG) ratio of 1.6 and pay a yield of 2.8%. Bank of Hawaii (BOH) is Hawaii's second largest bank and the state's largest local bank, tracing its history to 1897. The stock has a P/E of 14, a PEG of 1.78 and a yield of 3.5%. Central Pacific Financial (CPF) is Hawaii's fourth largest bank. The stock has a P/E of... Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:35:18 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/607/ Check out James Altucher's latest video on Thestreet.com called Make Money Off Ladies' Legs, where he discusses a couple stocks involved in the removal of varicose veins and how the market for these types of "leg" products and services will continue to increase for years. Since there appears to be a big interest in legs by both men and women, you might want to get a leg up on these investments that include leg rejuvenation companies and stocking companies. Syneron Medical (ELOS) is a manufacturer and seller of aesthetic medical products using electro-optical synergy technology that can be used for vascular treatments, hair removal and reduction in the appearance of cellulite. The stock has a P/E of 14, and a PEG of 0.8. ... Thu, 20 Mar 2008 10:19:48 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/606/ There are a group of investment vehicles that invest in municipal bonds that generate tax-free income. I am referring to them as stocks in this article although they are structured as closed end funds (CEFs), a slightly different animal. The tax-free CEF's have several advantages over buying individual municipal bonds directly: Muni CEFs have better liquidity, with share prices quoted daily. The CEFs provide much greater diversification, for the amount of money invested. There is no minimum investment with a CEF, whereas, you will be lucky to find a brokerage firm that will sell you one $5,000 bond. Most of the CEFs generate monthly dividends, versus a muni bond which only pays semi-annually. It is easier to reinvest your in... Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:26:08 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/605/ Bruce Berkowitz Interview: Barron's interviewed Bruce Berkowitz, president of Fairholme Fund (FAIRX) and CEO of Fairholme Capital Management. Berkowitz oversees around $9 billion in assets with the majority of it in the Fairholme Fund. Some of the stocks Williams currently favors are Sears Holdings (SHLD) and WellCare Health Plans (WCG). Barron's Technology M&A Picks: Barron's technology trader column highlighted some software firms that could be ripe for a takeover, due to lagging share prices. Some of the names mentioned in the column were Tibco Software (TIBX) and BladeLogic (BLOG) among others. Mutual Funds With Big Exposure To Bear Stearns: Barron's had an interesting article in their Mutual Fund column that highlighted fund... Sun, 16 Mar 2008 02:37:59 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/604/ Direct selling stocks, which are also known as multilevel marketing stocks and network marketing stocks, can be considered to be recession proof, because people turn to ways of generating extra income when times get tough. Direct selling companies operate by recruiting salespeople to sell their products. The salespeople receive additional commissions from the sales of people recruited in their downline. Here is a list of some of the major publicly traded direct selling stocks. Tupperware Brands Corporation (TUP) is an Orlando, Florida based company which markets kitchen products, cosmetics and personal care products. Their P/E is 19, and their PEG is 0.82. They offer a yield of 2.4%. Herbalife Ltd. (HLF) is a Los Angeles based c... Sun, 16 Mar 2008 02:35:21 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/603/ On Stockpickr Answers Friday and yesterday, Jim Cramer responded to a new batch of questions posed by members of the Stockpickr community. Cramer daily updates his blog for RealMoney and trades for Action Alerts PLUS, a portfolio of stocks -- including names like BP (BP), Altria (MO) and Goldman Sachs (GS) -- the profits of which are donated to charity. Anybody can ask, respond or comment at Stockpickr Answers; the top responders get ranked in our "Top Analysts" section. Here are a few of the questions to which Cramer recently responded. (Note: You may have to scroll through several answers to see Cramer's.) Now you all are worried about the dollar! Where's all the know-nothing gang? Come on, speak up! Click here for C... Fri, 14 Mar 2008 11:09:52 CDT