Continue reading America Movil to Expand Growth with Pre-Paid Data Plans

America Movil to Expand Growth with Pre-Paid Data Plans originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Bond money managers are usually glum. Then again, they need to be cautious since they are locking up money at fixed rate of returns. In a volatile world, this can certainly be a risky proposition.

So it should be no surprise that the biggest bond money manager, Bill Gross, is not enthusiastic about 2011. He leads the Pacific Investment Management Co., which has $1.2 trillion under management.

Continue reading Bill Gross Opines on 2011

Bill Gross Opines on 2011 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The news on the import/export front is not good. The Commerce Department reported that our trade deficit widened to $49.90 billion in July, a 21-month high. Economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal had expected the deficit to come in at $42.7 billion.

The wider deficit was caused by a increased imports and a drop in exports. Exports shrank by 1.3% to $150.45 billion, while imports jumped to 3.1% to $200.35 billion, up from $194.42 billion.

Continue reading U.S. Trade Deficit Surges to a 21-Month High

U.S. Trade Deficit Surges to a 21-Month High originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Serious Money: Buffett Looking Beyond Our Borders -- Part 3

Serious Money: Buffett Looking Beyond Our Borders -- Part 3 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

In celebration of the holiday, I thought it would be nice to remind investors not to forget about the opportunities in our southern neighbor. While Mexico is not a red hot emerging market like China or Brazil, there are still profits to be had there if you know where to look.

Here's why:

Continue reading Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Three Mexican Stock Picks

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Three Mexican Stock Picks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 05 May 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of a special report, Top Picks for 2010, the 27th annual survey in which TheStockAdvisors.com asks the nation's leading advisors for their single favorite stock for the new year. See all 80 stocks listed here.

Energy sector expert Elliott Gue turns to Weatherford International (WFT) as his top pick for the coming year.

In his The Energy Strategist, he explains, "As with most oil services firms, Weatherford's North American business has been hit hard and the stock now trades at a deeply discounted valuation."

Continue reading Top Picks for 2010: Weatherford (WFT)

Top Picks for 2010: Weatherford (WFT) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

American businesses are setting up shop in Mexico instead of China. China, which was the number one location for manufacture of goods bound for the U.S., has fallen into third place. Mexico is now number one, followed by India.

Several factors have converged to make Mexico an attractive place for manufacture. Daniel Silva of the Mission Economic Development Authority said: "Compared to China, Mexico offers better access to North American markets with a shorter, faster and cheaper transportation route to move products and supplies by truck, rather than over thousands of miles by ship, rail and truck combined."

Continue reading Mexico beats China in American assembly for export factories

Mexico beats China in American assembly for export factories originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

What is lithium? It is a soft, silver-white metal that is a good conductor of both heat and electricity. Because of these properties, lithium is used in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries. Lithium batteries generate 3 volts of electricity, compared to 1.5 volts for lead/acid or zinc cells.

Lithium is used primarily in the manufacture of car batteries for hybrid cars. These cars are becoming more popular, with the major domestic and foreign car makers using lithium batteries. Hence, lithium has become a highly sought-after commodity.

Continue reading Mexican mining firm finds a huge lithium deposit

Mexican mining firm finds a huge lithium deposit originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon is urging lawmakers in his country and in Brazil to consider a free-trade agreement between the Latin American giants, Bloomberg News reported.

If it's approved, this would be no small economic development. First, the pact would further diversify Mexico's trade base: currently, 80% of Mexico's exports go to the United States. Second, and perhaps even more significant, the action would create spin-off commerce in each country. Typically, when free trade pacts are passed, they lead to increases in GDP and in aggregate demand, which leads to new businesses.

Continue reading Mexico/Brazil free trade pact would benefit U.S., global economies

Mexico/Brazil free trade pact would benefit U.S., global economies originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

According to an Associated Press article citing the U.S. Justice Department, U.S. refineries purchased millions of dollars worth of oil that was stolen from Mexican government pipelines.

Apparently, the oil was stolen from the pipelines and then smuggled across the border, an illegal operation led by Mexican drug cartels that are looking to branch out. Wow, from cocaine to oil ... which of these is the most addictive. Apparently, these drug gangs hit remote pipelines and siphon off quite a bit of oil.

Continue reading Oil theft a growing problem?

Oil theft a growing problem? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Like oil, sugar is an international commodity. Unlike oil, sugar is an agricultural crop dependent on the weather. This year has seen droughts in some parts of the world and wetter than normal weather in other parts of the world where sugar is grown. Both extremes affect the growth of sugar cane.

Here are some reports from various sugar-growing countries:

• India is both the largest exporter and importer of sugar. This year India will be an importer of sugar. India's inventories will fall 50% to 4.54 million tons, equal to three months consumption. Reports from farmers indicate that plants are only one foot high compared with normal growth of five feet. Rainfall was 64% below normal in the growing regions. To fill the gap, the Indian government is extending duty free imports.

Continue reading Why are sugar prices shooting higher?

Why are sugar prices shooting higher? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

How do we know that world trade is loosening up? One indication is the U.S. trade deficit. Unfortunately the U.S. has been running a growing trade deficit for the past two months. You may be asking, what causes our trade deficit? The U.S. trade deficit is caused by importing more goods than we export. In April the trade gap widened by 2.4% from March to $29.2 billion. This follows a 10-year low in February.

The trade gap narrowed by 53% from a year ago when world trade collapsed from the global recession. The slight gains in the past two months indicate that some improvement is occurring in world commerce.

Continue reading U.S. trade deficit widens in April for the second straight month

U.S. trade deficit widens in April for the second straight month originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) ships return to Mexico

Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) ships return to Mexico originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 18 May 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Burger King (NYSE: BKC), a fast-food joint that competes with McDonald's (NYSE: MCD), Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM), and Wendy's/Arby's Group (NYSE: WEN), issued its Q3 report on Wednesday. The top line didn't do much, rising only 1% in the face of difficulties with currency translations. Earnings came in at 34 cents per share. That was one penny better than Wall Street's expectations, according to Reuters.

It's always good to beat the earnings call. But Burger King didn't get much mileage out of that victory. The stock actually sold off 3% on the news, closing yesterday at a fresh 52-week low of $16.55. The big catalyst was the conservative fiscal-year guidance.

Continue reading Burger King beats expectations, but will swine flu affect the fiscal year?

Burger King beats expectations, but will swine flu affect the fiscal year? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Late Tuesday, Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL) reported that it will temporarily cancel all stops in Mexico due to fears surrounding the swine flu. "We have decided to cancel calls at Mexican ports for all current sailings. Additionally, we will cancel calls in Mexico for all voyages departing Thursday, April 30 through Monday, May 4," the cruise line operator said in a statement.

Carnival isn't the only cruise line playing it safe. Sector peer Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) also announced plans to temporarily suspend port calls in Mexico. Currently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has not recommended any travel restrictions to halt the swine flu's spread.

Continue reading Carnival Cruise Lines gives Mexico a wide berth on swine flu concerns

Carnival Cruise Lines gives Mexico a wide berth on swine flu concerns originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Earnings keep swine scares in check (BAC, GSK, HUM, EWW, QCOM, WFMI)

Closing Bell: Earnings keep swine scares in check (BAC, GSK, HUM, EWW, QCOM, WFMI) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's about that time again: Pepsi vs. Coke. No, not another taste test or another Battle of the Brands. It's time for the next quarterly results from these two soft drink titans.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters anticipate that PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE: PEP), global beverage and snack food giant, will report fourth-quarter earnings this week that are 9.1% higher that a year ago, or $0.88 per share. Revenue is expected to total $12.8 billion, which is 3.9% higher than last year. For the full year, the profit is expected to be $3.67 per share on revenue of $43.4 billion, up from $3.38 per share on $39.5 billion in 2007. PepsiCo's earnings met or beat estimates in four of the past five quarters, but missed by only two cents per share in the third quarter. The consensus recommendation of analysts remains to buy PEP. The share price fell to a 52-week low in January and is now 24.4% lower than it was a year ago. During the fourth quarter, PepsiCo declared a $0.42 per share quarterly dividend, agreed to acquire a Spitz International, and announced investments in China and Mexico.

Continue reading The week in preview: Coke versus Pepsi

The week in preview: Coke versus Pepsi originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 08 Feb 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Davos Recap: With castigation stage over, collaboration begins

Davos Recap: With castigation stage over, collaboration begins originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Feb 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

They're called eureka moments or epiphanies, and lately, they've been occurring with regularity regarding current U.S. economic conditions.

Two that occurred recently in yours truly's neck of the woods in the Metro New York City region:

• The parking attendant for a local restaurant resigned from his position, the restaurant manager said. The employee returned to Mexico because he was laid off at his day-time job in construction, could not find comparable work due to the slumping housing market, so he resigned from the night-time parking attendant job and moved back home.

"He said his prospects for finding full-time work are now better in Mexico than they are in the U.S.," the restaurant owner said. He now works in Mexico City, where his family also is, he said.

Continue reading The invisible economy giveth, and now it taketh away

The invisible economy giveth, and now it taketh away originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Emergencies make strange bedfellows. Carlos Slim, the Mexican billionaire, will put $250 million into The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT). According to The New York Times, "Under the terms of the deal, Mr. Slim, who already owns 6.9 percent of the Times Company, would invest $250 million in the form of six-year notes with warrants that are convertible into common shares." The notes carry a 14% interest rate, which makes them the equivalent of junk debt.

If Slim lived in the US, The Times writers would beat him like a rented mule because of his close, some say too close, ties to the Mexican government. These cozy relationships are often viewed as one of the reasons he has done so well financially.

Forbes reports that Slim may be well-regarded outside Mexico, "But not in Mexico, where the media and the masses long have held a sneaking suspicion that there is something shady about Slim. He is decried as a rapacious monopolist who built his empire on cozy ties to Mexican presidents and other politicians."

Slim is a perfect target for investigative reporting, something The Times prides itself on. But, the paper needs the money, so Slim's potential conflicts of interest in his own country will be overlooked.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 24/7 Wall St.

Carlos Slim invests in The New York Times, which should be his critic originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.