Copper was the darling of commodity traders. The price rallied from about $6,400 per ton to a record $10,190 in the past year, The Financial Times reports. Momentum was strong and it looked like there was no end in sight. But now, prices have dropped off a bit and miners are worried that the rally has hit a brick wall. The main concern is that what drove drove prices skyward -- China's demand -- may be slowing, according to the FT.

One indication of the slowdown is the amount of stocks held in exchange warehouses. At the LME Asia + Shanghai exchange warehouses, copper stocks have increased from below 150,000 to over 325,000 tons. That buildup has worried miners. The companies affected are Freeport MeMoRan (FCX), BHP Billiton (BHP), Xstrada (XSRAF), Anglo American and Brazil's Codelco, according to the Financial Times.

Continue reading Miners Hedge Copper Inventories as Demand from China Slows

Miners Hedge Copper Inventories as Demand from China Slows originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Wynn Resorts (WYNN - option chain) shares are rising today on news that casino revenue in the Chinese province of Macau rose 48% to $2.5 billion in March, according to government statistics. WYNN owns one of the six casinos operating on the island. If you think that the stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on WYNN.

WYNN opened this morning at $130.00. So far today the stock has hit a low of $129.71 and a high of $135.59. As of 11:50, WYNN is trading at $135.29 up $8.13 (6.4%). The chart for WYNN looks bullish and S&P gives WYNN a positive 4 STARS (out of 5) buy ranking.

Continue reading Wynn Lifted by Surging Macau Revenue

Wynn Lifted by Surging Macau Revenue originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There's a big ballyhoo about oil these days. With the turmoil in the Middle East, especially in Libya, the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil is priced over $100 per barrel. Gasoline at the pump is almost $4.00 per gallon.

Why then talk about an oil glut? We should first look at where our oil is coming from. Believe it or not, Canada is the biggest exporter of oil to the U.S. Canada is sending so much oil to the U.S. that our pipelines and storage facilities can't handle it. Reuters reports that our key storage facilities at Cushing Oklahoma are filled to capacity and are not equipped to handle the oil flow.

Continue reading Oil Glut at Cushing Oklahoma Could Last Two Years

Oil Glut at Cushing Oklahoma Could Last Two Years originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Las Vegas Sands Drops on Securities Investigation in Hong Kong

Las Vegas Sands Drops on Securities Investigation in Hong Kong originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In a recent letter to the governor of Illinois, Doug Oberhelman, CEO of heavy machinery maker Caterpillar (CAT), outlined his concerns about new state taxes that could force the Illinois-based company to move operations to another state. Reportedly, Wisconsin, Indiana and New Jersey are all courting the company.

With 23,000 Caterpillar employees in Illinois, the stakes are high. Hopefully, Governor Pat Quinn and Oberhelman will be able to work something out.

Continue reading Caterpillar Mulls Relocating: How Do You Move a Bulldozer Company?

Caterpillar Mulls Relocating: How Do You Move a Bulldozer Company? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

An invasion of U.S. oil fields by Asian buyers is happening. Recently, companies from Korea, China and India have bought land in the oil-rich states of Texas, Colorado and Wyoming, according to Reuters.

In one of the biggest land deals, Korea National Oil (KNOC) bought one-third of Anadarko Petroleum's (APC) land holdings in South Texas for $1.55 billion. The purchase of 80,000 acres is located in the Eagle Ford Shale section, which is believed to have rich deposits of oil, natural gas and liquids, according to Reuters. KNOC also will receive 16,000 acres in the Pearsall Shale in South Texas.

Continue reading Korea, China and India Invade U.S. Oil Fields

Korea, China and India Invade U.S. Oil Fields originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Chinese government released trade data that portrays a $7.3 billion deficit. Is that believable or just convenient amid the international pressure to raise the value of their currency? We can hardly believe what comes out of Washington, so data coming out of China has to be quite suspect.

I'm sure they retained qualified independent auditors to ascertain the validity of the figures -- yeah right ...

Continue reading Chasing Value: A Chinese Trade Deficit?

Chasing Value: A Chinese Trade Deficit? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Warren Buffett invested $232 million in BYD (BYDDF), a Chinese auto maker during the financial crisis, as reported by Reuters. As of December 2010 Buffett's 225 million shares were worth $1.18 billion. In 2009, the shares were valued at just under $2 billion. So from 2009 to 2010, Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) lost about 40% of his investment.

But that is just the beginning. Now there is criticism surrounding the new Chinese car, dubbed the hybrid car F3DM.They center around two major areas, authenticity of the design and the overall workmanship of the car itself.

Continue reading Will Buffett Back Away from His Deal with BYD, the Chinese Auto Maker?

Will Buffett Back Away from His Deal with BYD, the Chinese Auto Maker? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Trading China's $200 Billion Home Building Plan

Trading China's $200 Billion Home Building Plan originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With Priceline's (PCLN) stock gaining a staggering 1800% ($23 Jan 2006 to $440 in Jan 2011) since the beginning of 2006, it comes as no surprise that it has been recognized as the single best-performing stock in the S&P 500 over the past five years. Priceline is the second largest player in terms of booking volumes after Expedia and competes with other leading online travel agencies such as Travelocity, Orbitz in the very competitive online travel industry in the U.S.

Continue reading If Priceline Harnesses Asian Growth, Shares Have Ample Upside

If Priceline Harnesses Asian Growth, Shares Have Ample Upside originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Which stocks and which sectors are relatively inflation-proof while offering exposure to emerging market growth, particularly in China?" asks Glenn Rogers.

The contributing editor to Internet Wealth Builder explains, "I kept coming back to a basket of Chinese Internet stocks which, with a few exceptions, have not significantly pulled back with the rest of the Chinese market.

"There are a lot of things to like about the Internet in China where they had a total of 384 million web surfers at the end of 2009. That is greater than the entire population of the United States and that's with a penetration of only 23% so there is lots of room to grow.

Continue reading Online in China: Baidu (BIDU) and Youku.com (YOKU)

Online in China: Baidu (BIDU) and Youku.com (YOKU) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Amid the political and social uprisings in the Middle East, and union protests in the U.S., a recent speech by a pivotal U.S. policy maker received little attention, but it's one that investors should review.

In a speech before the recent G-20 meeting, U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke urged emerging market nations to address the flood of money streaming into their markets.

Continue reading Bernanke: Emerging Markets Need to Address Capital Flows

Bernanke: Emerging Markets Need to Address Capital Flows originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Taiwan's economy and its stock market should post solid growth in 2011; we also see warming relations between the island of Taiwan and mainland China," suggests global specialist Yiannis Mostrous.

The editor of The Silk Road Investor explains, "Technology should be a major beneficiary of these near-term themes and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) is our favorite stock for exposure to the technology turnaround.

"Demand for notebook computers remains solid and mobile phones are expected to sell strongly during the Chinese New Year holiday this week, which will lead to inventory restocking.

Continue reading Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM): Tech Turnaround

Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM): Tech Turnaround originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

China is allowing its citizens to buy physical gold bars. This new program is unleashing an unbridled demand for the metal. The program works this way: The Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), China's largest, sells the bars to customers at real-time prices. Persons who own the bars can resell them to the bank.

To give you an insight into the magnitude of these sales, here are a few statistics. The ICBC sold 7 tons of bullion in January alone. In all of 2010, sales were only 15 tons.

Continue reading Chinese Citizens Are Hungry for More Gold

Chinese Citizens Are Hungry for More Gold originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When it comes to the biggest threat to world economies, oil scarcity is second only to nuclear war. What started in Tunisia, then spread to Egypt has now spreading to Bahrain and Iran, where protesters are clashing with police. In Iran, lawmakers are threatening death to protesters.

The fear of chaos spreading across the Middle East has sent the oil market into overdrive. Brent crude traded at $104 per barrel Tuesday.

Continue reading Brent Crude at $104 per Barrel on Spreading Mideast Unrest

Brent Crude at $104 per Barrel on Spreading Mideast Unrest originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

March corn futures jumped 24.25 cents a bushel on Wednesday to $6.98. Corn contracts have risen 97% since June. You may be wondering why all this activity in the corn market in the middle of winter. The answer lies in a USDA report that said corn supplies are dangerously low. In fact, they are near the record low set 15 years ago.

What that means is that the corn stocks we have must last until our harvest starts in mid summer. Of the 12.4 billion bushels harvested last fall, we will have only 675 million bushels by Aug 31.To add more fuel to the problem, this new report is 9% lower than the USDA"s January projection, as reported in the Wall Street Journal (subscription required).

Continue reading Corn Surges on Short Supply

Corn Surges on Short Supply originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

For investors, the emerging markets have been a great place to find profits. No doubt, there are certainly risks, such as seen recently with the market turmoil in Egypt, but a diversified portfolio should solve these problems. Of course, it also helps to have lots of exposure to markets like China and Brazil.

According to Societe Generale, emerging markets may pale in comparison to the growth in commodities. Interestingly enough, it is rising commodities prices that is putting inflationary pressure on these countries. In other words, it is getting tougher for companies to pass along higher raw materials costs. As a result, there has been a rash of interest rate increases.

Continue reading Commodities Even Better Than Emerging Markets Stocks?

Commodities Even Better Than Emerging Markets Stocks? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"NetEase (NTES) fits right into the theme of rapidly expanding Internet revenues and profits in China," says Jim Trippon.

The editor of the China Stock Digest explains, "At least 450 million Chinese are now online. Online gaming has 265 million users and is expected to gross over $4 billion over the past year.

"This company has a wide offering of products, even though it is mostly known to western investors as a gaming platform. In fact, NetEase falls into all of the major categories of web revenue generation with significant ad sales, a home page service similar to Yahoo, email, search and a new online B2C (business to consumer) shopping presence.

Continue reading NetEase (NTES): China's Expanding Internet

NetEase (NTES): China's Expanding Internet originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading China Stockpiles Rare Earth Metals

China Stockpiles Rare Earth Metals originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The world is screaming for copper. Demand from China, the U.S. and Europe is pushing prices to all-time highs. London copper traded at $10,000 a metric ton. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, copper hit $.4.58 a pound, as reported in the Wall Street Journal.

Traders are looking for "five dollar copper," which would push London's price to $11,000 per metric ton. Goldman Sachs (GS) forecasts that copper will average $10,230 a metric ton in 2011, up 15%. It warned that new mine capacity will not come to market for at least two years.

Continue reading Copper Sets Record $10,000 a Metric Ton

Copper Sets Record $10,000 a Metric Ton originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.