Continue reading Invest in Oil to Hedge Long Stock Positions

Invest in Oil to Hedge Long Stock Positions originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) closed at $135.41. Middle East violence has resulted in gold rising above $1,407 an ounce. GLD overall option implied volatility of 17 is below its 26-week average of 20, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

Financial Select Sector (XLF) overall volatility at 22; 26-week average is 24.

ISE Sentiment Index-ISEE closed at 114; 10-day moving average is 132.

Options Update is by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Options Update: Gold Rises as Middle East Violence Spreads originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Gold rises with inflation and in times of crisis, like we have today; and, as a result, many countries are buying gold," says Mary Anne and Pamela Aden.

The long-standing resource sector expert and co-editors of The Aden Forecast explain, "They know it's the ultimate currency and gold is again taking its place in the global monetary system, as it has for thousands of years.

"The actions of the world's central banks tell the story. At the very least, this is going to keep upward pressure on gold in the years ahead.

Continue reading The Aden Sisters on Gold: 'Stay with the Mega-Trend'

The Aden Sisters on Gold: 'Stay with the Mega-Trend' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Paulson Still a Big Bull on Gold

Paulson Still a Big Bull on Gold originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last month was certainly tough for gold. In fact, it was the worst January in about 20 years.

But as usual, there were many investors who thought that this was the end of the bull run. Hasn't gold risen for ten straight years? Isn't it time for a bear market?

Well, the fact is that corrections are normal, even for gold. And there is no reason to believe that the recent fall-off is yet another example.

Continue reading Investors Make a $102 Billion Bet on Gold

Investors Make a $102 Billion Bet on Gold originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is one in a series in which more than 60 newsletter advisors share their Top Stock Picks for 2011. This special report is courtesy of TheStockAdvisors.com.

"Gold and silver were top performers in 2010. In fact, they've been top performers over the past eight to 10 years. We believe this will continue in 2011," says resource expert Mary Anne and Pamela Aden.

The co-editors of The Aden Forecast explains, "As the year was drawing to a close, gold hit an all time record high and silver reached a 30 year high. It was super bullish action. And it's not over yet.

Continue reading Top Picks 2011: SPDR Gold (GLD) and iShares Silver (SLV)

Top Picks 2011: SPDR Gold (GLD) and iShares Silver (SLV) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"We hear that gold is in a bubble, it can't rise much further and so on," content resource experts Mary Anne and Pamela Aden.

The co-editors of The Aden Forecast explain, "Many wonder, why is it even rising so much? For that, you have to look at history from a global perspective and it'll provide the answer.

"We've often pointed out that gold is money. It has been for thousands of years. Paper money is not really money and there isn't one paper currency that has survived over time.

Continue reading Gold: The Stages of a Mega-Bull Market

Gold: The Stages of a Mega-Bull Market originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Options Update: CBOE Volatility Index Up, Gold at All-Time High originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"I do believe a lot of fundamentals and technicals and time-cycle indicators are now pointing to an up-trend in gold," says Mike Turner.

The editor of Mastering the Markets explains, "As such, my latest recommendation is to buy the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), a gold ETF that tends to reflect one-tenth the actual price of gold.

"My proprietary forecasting software system indicates that GLD could stay relatively flat for the next three weeks before beginning a rather sharp upward trend. The uptick in my indicators suggests that this could be the start of the more significant uptrend for August.

Continue reading Three Reasons to Buy SPDR Gold Trust (GLD)

Three Reasons to Buy SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Gold Rallies to a Record High of $1,260.90 per Ounce

Gold Rallies to a Record High of $1,260.90 per Ounce originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Options Update: Bank of America Calls Active, Shares Near 10-Month Low originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Options Update: US Airways Volatility Elevated; Shares Near 20-Month High originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Jun 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Earlier today, Jeff Reeves argued the case for the ProShares UltraShort Gold (GLL) exchange-traded fund (ETF). This inverse ETF could be a solid investment for speculators who are anticipating a further correction in gold futures -- and judging by Thursday's heavy put-buying on the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), there are plenty of gold bears on Wall Street right now.

GLD's most popular options strike on Thursday was the July 93 put. With GLD trading near $115, this option is currently out of the money by more than 20 points. This put strike traded volume of 100,000 contracts yesterday, with 100% of these puts changing hands at the ask price -- revealing they were most likely purchased. Implied volatility on GLD's July 93 put rose 2.5% by the close, and open interest at this strike swelled overnight by 99,975 contracts. In other words, it seems safe to say that new bearish bets on gold were added at this strike yesterday.

Continue reading Options Activity Heats Up on SPDR Gold Trust

Options Activity Heats Up on SPDR Gold Trust originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 21 May 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gold usually has an inverse relationship with the dollar. When the USD goes up, gold goes down, because theoretically a stronger dollar can buy more gold. Additionally, commodities in general tend to fall on a stronger dollar because it is often correlated with lower expectations for growth.

This week we saw a major correction in equities with banks leading the way. American International Group, Inc. (NYSE: AIG) was down more than 20% on Tuesday alone. This is a fear-driven decline, and we can see evidence of that in a positive correlation between gold and the dollar.

Continue reading Gold is up as investors seek shelter from the storm

Gold is up as investors seek shelter from the storm originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

For 26 years, at the start of each year, I've conducted an annual survey of newsletter advisors, asking for their favorite investment for the coming year. Until 2 or 3 years ago, their responses were almost always individual stocks and an occasional mutual fund.

Increasingly in recent years, many advisors have found their favorite positions to be exchange traded funds, whereby they can invest in a sector, region, or strategy without the inherent risk of an individual company. Indeed, in this year survey of 75 advisors, fully 1 out of 5 advisors chose ETFs.

ETFs were a popular choice for those seeking global exposure. Mark Salzinger, editor of The Investor's ETF Report, selects the S&P China SPDR (NYSE: GXC) as his favored play. (Read the full article here.)

Nick Vardy sees opportunity in China, but also sees potential in a broader range of emerging global markets. The editor of Global Stock Investor looks to the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets (ASE: EEM) as his top idea for 2009. (Read the full article here.)

Carl Delfeld of Chartwell Advisors also wants to own a basket of emerging markets stocks, but only small caps. His pick is the WisdomTree Emerging Market Small Cap (NYSE: DGS). (Read the full article here.)

Jim Lowell takes a similar view -- chosing global small caps -- but adds a further restriction. His recommended ETF limits its holdings to dividend paying stocks. Hence, the top pick in his Marketwatch ETF Trader is the WisdomTree International Small Cap Dividend (NYSE: DLS). (Read the full article here.)

ETFs an also be used to play a specific sector, such as consumer stocks. Leonard Goodall sees upside in companies making the "basics" such as soda, toothpaste and soap. In his No-Load Fund Investor, his top way to play this trend is the Consumer Staples ETF (NYSE: XLP). (Read the full article here.)

In addition to using ETFs to invest in a region, country or sector, these vehicles can also be used to invest in a certain strategy. For example, Tom Bishop, editor of BI Research, chooses the PowerShares Value Line Industry Rotation ETF (NYSE: PYH), which rotates its holdings to only include stocks that earn Value Line's top investment rating. (Read the full article here.)

Doug Fabian, editor of Successful Investing, looks to PowerShares DB Crude (NYSE: DXO), an exchange-traded note. While this leveraged position goes up twice as much as the underlying index when it rises, it also goes down twice as much when the index declines. (Read the full article here.)

Paul Tracy, editor of StreetAuthority Market Advisor takes a similar approach, but rather than speculate on the price of oil and gas, he looks to ProShares Ultra Oil & Gas (NYSE: DIG), which invests in a basket of stocks operating within these sectors. (Read the full article here.)

The most popular choice in this year's survey was ETFs investing in gold. Both Vivian Lewis, editor of Global Investing, recommends the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD); it's price reflects 1/10th of an ounce of gold. (Read the full article here.)

Mary Anne Aden, editor of The Aden Forecast, also selects the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD) as her top investment ideas for the coming year. (Read the full article here.)

Mark Leibovit, market timer and editor of VRTrader, holds a long-term bullish view on gold and opts for upside leverage. His top pick is the PowerShares DB Gold Double Long (NYSE: DGP). (Read the full article here.)

Pamela Aden, co-editor for The Aden Forecast, also sees upside potential in gold but prefers to invest in the companies that mine for the precious metal. Her top pick is the Market Vectors Gold Miners (NYSE: GDX). (Read the full article here.)

For greater leverage (and higher risk), Steve Rawls, editor of Tipping Point Stocks, suggests the ProShares Ultra Gold (NYSE: UGL), which moves twice the rate of the underlying London gold price. (Read the full article here.)

Mike Larson, editor of Money & Markets, sees downside risk in financial stocks. But rather than try and select which stock might fall, he opts for a basket of financial players with the ProShares Trust Short Financials (NYSE: SEF). As an "inverse" fund, this moves in the opposite direction of the underlying index. (Read the full article here.)

And for even higher risk and volatility, Michael Shulman, editor of ChangeWave Shorts, looks to the ProShares UltraShort Financials (NYSE: SKF), an inverse double fund. Not only does it move in the opposite direction of financial stocks, but it moves twice as much. (Read the full article here.)

Steven Halpern's TheStockAdvisors.com offers a daily look at the latest market commentary and favorite stock picks and investment ideas from the nation's leading financial newsletter advisors.

15 favorite ETFs for 2009 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of a special annual report -- Top Stock Picks '09 -- in which TheStockAdvisors.com asked 75 leading newsletter advisors to select their favorite investment for the new year.

"Gold has outperformed nearly all other investments over the past few years," says Mary Anne Aden in The Aden Forecast. Here, the resource expert looks at her favorite play in the sector.

"It appears as though this trend for gold's outperformance will continue in the years ahead. Why?

"According to Bloomberg, the total amount of money provided by the U.S. government to rescue the financial system over the past year and a half has been $7.4 trillion.

"That amounts to $24,000 for every man, woman, and child, and it's totally unprecedented. All of this money will eventually fuel inflation and gold is the number one inflation hedge.

"Currently, President-elect Obama and his team are busy working on how to get the economy moving again. This is their top priority and one plan involves the largest infrastructure investment since the 1950s when all of the super highways were built. This will provide jobs and it'll hopefully help spur the economy.

Continue reading Top Stock Picks '09: SPDR Gold Trust ETF (GLD)

Top Stock Picks '09: SPDR Gold Trust ETF (GLD) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 11 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of a special annual report -- Top Stock Picks '09 -- in which TheStockAdvisors.com asked 75 leading newsletter advisors to select their favorite investment for the new year.

"As my favorite stock for 2009, I recommend that investors buy the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD), a gold exchange-traded fund," says international investing specialist Vivian Lewis.

In her Global Investing newsletter, which focuses on ADR and other global issues that trade on U.S. exchanges, the advisor explains, "I think every portfolio needs an inflation hedge in a period of unbridled monetary easing and pump priming."

Lewis explains, "SPDR Gold Trust does not depend on the economy coming right nor is it a play on recession and doom. Forecasting the macroeconomic trends in the U.S. and worldwide is very difficult in the current unprecedented economic crisis.

"But there is one thing you can be sure of: the measures already taken by governments around the world to stimulate their enfeebled companies and unclog their banking systems will result in an inflation problem.

"The vast government deficits engendered by the bailouts and stimulus will eventually have to be addressed. There aren't many options.

Continue reading Top Stock Picks '09: SPDR Gold Trust (GLD)

Top Stock Picks '09: SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Financial Select Sector (NYSE: XLF) closed at $13.69. XLF October option implied volatility is at 175, November is at 123; above its 26-week average of 41 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price fluctuations.

SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD) closed at $89.90. Gold is recently up 3.99% to $921.90 according to Bloomberg. GLD October option implied volatility is at 62, November is at 53; above its 20-week average of 30 according to Track Data, suggesting price movement.

Oil Services Holders (NYSE: OIH) closed at $97.60. Crude oil futures are recently down 4.98% to $82.28 according to Track Data. OIH holdings include BHI, BJS, DO, ESV, GRP, GSF, HAL, SLB, HC, NBR, NE, NOV, RDC, RIG, SII, SLB, TDW & WFT. OIH October option implied volatility is at 120, November is at 102 above its 26-week average of 39 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Option Update: Financial Select, SPDR Gold, Oil Services volatlity up originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of a series in which TheStockAdvisors.com asked financial experts to name their top stock pick if McCain or if Obama wins the election.

"Our pick to profit from a McCain-Palin victory in November is the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD), an exchange-traded fund that is designed to reflect the performance of the price of gold bullion," explains Nate Pile, editor of Nate's Notes.

"We would buy gold in order to hedge ourselves against what we expect would be a heightened sense of uncertainty that foreign investors would express (at least initially) if the hard-to-predict 'mavericks' take the helm.

"I also continue to believe that we are still in the early stages of what will prove to be a multi-year boom for commodities, and much of the selling we have seen in gold appears to be for primarily emotional reasons.

"The recent strength of the dollar may partially explain the drop in gold, but for the most part, I think we have simply been witnessing some good old-fashioned panic selling.

"Unlike some other ETFs that invest in precious metals via the buying and selling of futures contracts on the underlying commodities, SPDR Gold Trust (formerly known as the streetTracks Gold Trust) actually buys and sells gold bullion, and each share of the Trust represents approximately 1/10th of an ounce of gold.

"However, while there are certain benefits to actually owning gold itself (as opposed to a derivative contract associated with the commodity), investors need to be aware that gold is considered a 'collectible' by the IRS, and thus investing in this ETF can result in a higher tax rate being applied to any gains that are achieved.

Continue reading McCain stock: Go for gold with SPDR Gold Trust (GLD)

McCain stock: Go for gold with SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 09 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK) closed at $45.25 Monday. Natural Gas futures are recently down 2.25% to $8.53 according to Bloomberg. BMO Capital Markets has a $68 target price on CHK. CHK September option implied volatility of 61 is above its 26-week average of 42 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement.

SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD), a commodity-based exchange traded security, closed at $86.84. Gold is recently trading down 1.70% to $892.50. GLD option volume was heavy on August 4, 2008 with 106,112 contracts trading. GLD over all option implied volatility of 25 is near its 9-week average according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.

Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (NYSE: RIO) will report Q2 EPS on August 6. RIO, a Brazilian mineral company, closed at $26.36. Goldman has a Buy rating on RIO. RIO option volume was heavy on August 4, 2008, with 237,545 contracts trading. RIO August option implied volatility is at 66, September is at 56; above its 26-week average of 49 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Option Update: Commodity selloff causes higher volatility originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 05 Aug 2008 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.