If you want to feel like what you do for a living makes a difference, you'll soon face an embarrassment of riches.

The alternative energy industry -- the green business -- is about to ramp up its hiring, with the next year likely to show an increase in demand, according to U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.

Continue reading Green jobs coming, thanks to investors

Green jobs coming, thanks to investors originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of our feature on Money Losers of 2008. See all 20.

Hillary Clinton is easily one of the most polarizing figures in U.S. politics. Perhaps it's because she combines the DNA of a female with the ruthlessness, grit, and cold-blooded calculation of the average male politician -- journalists never know whether to criticize her hairstyle, or her foreign policy credentials! (Governor Sarah Palin received similarly schizophrenic coverage: Yes, she's got an opinion about offshore drilling, but what kind of statement are those pumps making?)

In any event, it was a given that Hillary would run for president in 2008. As an idealistic, card-carrying young feminist, I'd personally been chanting "Hillary '08!" ever since I cast my vote for her in the 2000 Senate race in New York. Unfortunately for Ms. Clinton, it seems that most of her fervent supporters have a certain characteristic in common with me. No, it's not two X chromosomes; apparently, we're all broke.

When she suspended her presidential campaign in June, it was a bitter defeat for Hillary. Not only was she edged out in the primaries by an Ivy League rookie, but she also had to contend with a whopping campaign debt load. Reports indicate that the future Secretary of State poured $11.4 million of her own money into the campaign, just for starters. At the beginning of November, she still owed $7.5 million to various vendors, and the primaries haven't even been paid for yet.

Continue reading Money losers of 2008: Hillary Clinton loses big in presidential race

Money losers of 2008: Hillary Clinton loses big in presidential race originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Wall Street Journal reported that it is the Bush Administration versus Democrats versus Republicans to decide the strategy to stabilize Federal National Mortgage Association (NYSE: FNM) -- Fannie Mae -- and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (NYSE: FRE) -- Freddie Mac. The Administration's plan would let the Treasury Department advance a credit line and the opportunity for the government to buy equity in either firm. A package is expected to pass but not before the political and economic ramifications are battled out. Democrats and Treasury want it to be a part of a housing rescue plan; Republications oppose it.
• The Clinton Foundation, headed by former President Clinton, believes it has a pricing agreement in place that it expects will make malaria drugs affordable and available to millions of poor people worldwide, the Wall Street Journal reported.
• The Financial Times reported that UBS AG (NYSE: UBS) and Liechtenstein's LGT Group will today be accused by U.S. Congressional investigators of using the "cloak of bank secrecy laws" to help American clients evade billions of dollars in taxes.

• Globes reported that Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (NASDAQ: TEVA) is talks to acquire Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc (NYSE: BRL). The price tag is said to be between $7B and $7.5B.

Newspaper wrap-up: Fannie, Freddie stabilization becomes a game of political chicken originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Martin Wolf: Making the United States safe for globalization

Martin Wolf: Making the United States safe for globalization originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I have not decided who I am voting for yet. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say I have decided on multiple occasions only to become undecided again. While some will see me as fickle, or worse, others may be in the same boat.

I am also continuing to think about what difference any of the candidates can make on the economy, and based on these musings, where to invest. My current belief is that none of them will have a profound impact on our economy.

There are no financial wizards among them. Here is the shocker though: I like all three candidates, or at least can find some good in each of them. Each of them is a fighter, and I believe each one of them brings certain skill sets to the job. There are also things about each candidate that are inescapably negative. Clinton has so much baggage, Zsa Zsa Gabor would be jealous. Obama does not have the experience and he has a degree of arrogance (right sweetie); McCain is an old stick-in-the-mud who, as a long-time senator, has spent more hours with lobbyists than almost anybody, though he is pretending otherwise.

Where does this leave me from an investment perspective? My first choice, for stability with moderate growth and dividends, remains the defense sector. I wrote Defense sector rolls over S&P 500 for 8th straight year a while back and I still think that it is the most secure. Here's why:

A) None of the candidates will want to appear soft on defense when we are at war, and all three have made threatening remarks in some country's direction to make sure the electorate knows that.

B) The War in Afghanistan and Iraq rages on, and even the most optimist view is that a draw-down will take years.

C) Even if all war ceased immediately, the upgrading and replenishment of the hardware will cost billions of dollars and most of the defense contractors have that in their backlogs now. Chasing Value: General Dynamics & Raytheon -- The defense does not rest

Continue reading Investing in Everyone: Defense, Food, Power, Clinton, Obama, and McCain

Investing in Everyone: Defense, Food, Power, Clinton, Obama, and McCain originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 27 May 2008 19:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In the latest chapter of "Politicians must have something to say about everything," Hillary Clinton wants you to know that she doesn't like the fact that Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) traded down after after reporting $11 billion in quarterly earnings.

Senator Clinton -- whom I would vote for by the way -- said that "There is something seriously wrong with our economy when Exxon's record $11 billion in quarterly profits are seen as a disappointment by Wall Street."

Then, in a twist that reminded me of watching a poorly coordinated fellow slam an ice cream cone into his forehead, Clinton added that this was further proof that the gas tax should be suspended.

Has Senator Clinton seen the number of SUVs on the road? And has she noticed that 60% of people are obese? I promise you they didn't get that way by walking everywhere to save money on gas. Given the state of the federal budget -- and the increasing concern about the impact of fossil fuels on the environment -- we shouldn't be doing anything to encourage increased use of fuel.

A separate issue that may of interest to investors: some analysts have suggested that Exxon is actually understating its profits -- and boosting capital investments -- in an effort to appease politicians. If that's the case, the stock may be cheaper than it appears at first glance.

Stock market expert Hillary Clinton blasts Exxon Mobil trading originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 03 May 2008 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Associated Press reports that Bill and Hillary Clinton made $109.2 million in the years since they left the White House. According to Drudge Report, Bill was the big winner. Details include:

They paid $33.7 million in Federal taxes and gave $10.2 million to charity. I would not be surprised if Clintons have had the most successful post White House cash-in of any presidential couple. No wonder she wants to get back there again. Think of how much more she could make after being president!

Peter Cohan is President of Peter S. Cohan & Associates. He also teaches management at Babson College and edits The Cohan Letter.

Clintons made $109 million in post White House years originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Whatever your political ideology happens to be, I think we can all agree on one thing: Given the complex economic issues currently facing our country -- many of which will continue to be important for the foreseeable future -- our next president must be someone who understand economics.

To that end, the latest issue of Barron's looks at the backgrounds of each candidate (subscription required), showing something troubling: McCain's financial expertise is pretty much limited to having married a rich woman. That's a good strategy to be sure, but not necessarily the best background for someone charged with dealing with the current mess. Advising struggling homeowners to scan the obituaries in search of newly widowed socialites might not go over well.

Then there's Barack Obama whose experience in the market is, according to Barron's, pretty much limited to having once lost $13 thousand on stocks acquired through a blind trust. Barron's writes that "Small wonder he's giddy to raise taxes on interest and dividends. Obama has little skin in the game ... He's as insulated from his own dividend and capital gains proposals as a penguin is from the cold."

Hillary Clinton's net worth is very high, but she owns little stock. Her experience on the board of directors at Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) is intriguing but, looking at the available information, one thing is clear: None of these candidates can be considered an economics expert, something that we badly need, although George W. Bush's MBA from Harvard did little to avert the current mess.

Perhaps we'll get our economics expert from the other half of the presidential ticket. Private equity titan Mitt Romney is rumored to be a possible pick for John McCain, and there is some speculation that Barack Obama could pair up with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Which presidential candidate understands economics best? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 30 Mar 2008 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading When running for President, Obama's gotta give to receive vs. Hillary

When running for President, Obama's gotta give to receive vs. Hillary originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While kudos should be given to the Fed for trying to do whatever it takes to shore up the banking system, what is a bit more worrisome is how both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton approach the problem. Obviously they started out by blaming President Bush for these problems.

According to an AP report:

"Now we are in the soup and we better get ourselves out of it before the consequences get drastic," Democratic presidential contender Hillary Rodham Clinton told reporters. Barack Obama said: "History will not judge President Bush kindly for his failure to act in a way that could've prevented or alleviated this economic crisis."

Does Obama think that the President could have prevented the entire economic crisis, had he acted differently? In fact I postulate that one of the major reasons that Wall Street is in the current situation is because of a precedent taken 10 years ago by then Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin. He bailed out his Wall Street buddies after they were set to lose billions in bad investments in Asia, among other places. Go figure that after they get saved once, they go ahead a decade later and continue to make investments without taking into account risk. They knew that they could get away with it because they would get bailed out. And guess what? They are going to get bailed out.

The fact is that the Fed, by injecting liquidity, is doing exactly what it should be doing to try and get the banking system back on track. Many economists believe that had the same strategy been implemented in 1929, there never would have been a Great Depression. Back then they took money out of the system and companies went bankrupt. The Fed is making no such mistake this time.

Aaron Katsman is the lead Portfolio Manager and Managing Director of America Israel Investment Associates, LLC. and Senior Editor of IsraelNewsletter.com. DISCLOSURE: Writer's fund has no position in any stock mentioned, as of 3/17/08.

Barack and Hillary: Government is the problem not the solution originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) held its annual shareholder meeting last Thursday, and a couple interesting things were discussed, according to a Hollywood Reporter piece.

Apparently, a mutual fund manager challenged management regarding a controversial miniseries called The Path to 9/11, claiming that Disney has decided not to exploit the project on home video because of political considerations. I vaguely remember this miniseries, but it seems to have been critical of President Bill Clinton, and since his wife is running right now, well, maybe the decision was based on not interfering with whatever momentum she may (or may not) have. The mutual fund guy said CEO Bob Iger has been a donor of Clinton (as one can imagine, Iger denies that politics are involved here).

I am really not sure if this guy has a legitimate point or not, or what his bias is, but let me say this -- if the miniseries did really cost $40 million, then it should be out on DVD, period. Shareholders should be angry about that. Content is king, new distribution platforms are the kingdom, and if this miniseries is controversial, then it might bring in a little bit of cash to the Mouse's coffers. Now, I obviously realize that not releasing the miniseries isn't going to break Disney -- but I do want the company to aggressively exploit any and all content, especially one that cost $40 million to generate.

Continue reading Disney's annual meeting: On Iger's pay and a controversial miniseries

Disney's annual meeting: On Iger's pay and a controversial miniseries originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 08 Mar 2008 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Hillary can't wait for Pennsylvania

Hillary can't wait for Pennsylvania originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Hillary Clinton won't have the last laugh

Hillary Clinton won't have the last laugh originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Carville said that objective economic events in this election cycle favor the party out of power. Those objective economic events? The housing slump, higher energy and food costs, and anemic job growth, conditions that are "presenting real economic hardship for many Americans." (Or as Carville would put it, in the 2008 election, as in the 1992 election, "It's the economy, stupid.")

Continue reading Carville: Economic issues will favor Democratics in 2008

Carville: Economic issues will favor Democratics in 2008 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Hillary Clinton makes a last stand in Texas and Ohio

Hillary Clinton makes a last stand in Texas and Ohio originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading U.S. fiscal condition for 2009 president will hardly be ideal

U.S. fiscal condition for 2009 president will hardly be ideal originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The New York Times reports that Hillary Clinton is giving off signals that her campaign for President could be nearing an end. It's hard to know if this veil of tears is just Hillary using the crying gambit -- as she did in New Hampshire -- in the pages of her hometown newspaper. But as she acknowledges in the article, running for President is a marathon from which the fittest political athlete emerges victorious.

The Times article helps highlight a critical difference between Clinton and Obama which may explain why Obama is proving himself to be the fitter of the two Democratic candidates. With Clinton, it appears that the voter's job is to help her to realize her ambitions by giving her money or votes. By contrast, Obama presents himself as the vessel for achieving voter's hopes. In short, with Hillary it's about what voters can do for her. And for Obama, it's about what he can do for voters.

The effect of these different approaches is that Clinton appears tired as she struggles to break an 11 state losing streak in the upcoming March 4th primaries. It's as though she needs the voters to give her the strength to keep going and that evidence of insufficient support saps her strength. By contrast, Obama looks like he hasn't really broken a sweat as he goes from victory to victory.

Continue reading Why Hillary's presidential hopes are fading

Why Hillary's presidential hopes are fading originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 23 Feb 2008 16:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Senator Clinton has touted herself as someone who excels at the "prose" of governing -- not the "poetry" of campaigning. So as someone who voted for Barack Obama in the Massachusetts primary, I was interested in the New York Times reports that her use of campaign funds indicate a pattern of poor resource allocation. This evidence undercuts her claims of management competence.

Here are some notable examples of mismanagement of the $106 million Clinton has raised so far:

• $100,000 went for party platters and groceries before the Iowa caucuses which Obama won;
• $275,000 to Sunrise Communications, a South Carolina firm that was supposed to turn out black voters for her and collected nearly $800,000 in total. Obama won South Carolina;
• $25,000 spent at the Bellagio luxury hotel in Las Vegas and another $5,000 the Four Seasons there -- She won the vote there but received fewer delegates than Obama; and
• $5 million spent on top consultants in January, a month of crucial expenses and tough fund-raising.

Continue reading Is Senator Clinton a good manager?

Is Senator Clinton a good manager? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 22 Feb 2008 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Obama unveils $210 billion economic stimulus plan

Obama unveils $210 billion economic stimulus plan originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Young adult vote could surge in 2008, driven by Obama, Internet factors

Young adult vote could surge in 2008, driven by Obama, Internet factors originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 12 Feb 2008 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.