Continue reading Five Stocks That Prove the China Boom Isn't Over

Five Stocks That Prove the China Boom Isn't Over originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Ray of Light: IMF Ups 2010 Global Growth Forecast to 3.9%

Ray of Light: IMF Ups 2010 Global Growth Forecast to 3.9% originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Long a topic of discussion, insurers and reinsurers are beginning to enter the microinsurance space. Scor (SCOR) firm invested in LeapFrog Investments, the first microinsurance fund, last month, and last week, the Microinsurance Network was launched in an effort to raise awareness of the sector.

In a mature industry, microinsurance is seen as having considerable growth potential, especially given the large numbers of people around the world who live without any form of coverage. Microinsurance protection ranges from property catastrophe to life and health. A recent study by Lloyd's of London found that 135 million people, 5% of the world's low-income people, are using microinsurance products, but that the total market size could range from 1.5 billion to 3 billion.

Continue reading Small is beautiful: Insurance companies turn to micro for growth

Small is beautiful: Insurance companies turn to micro for growth originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE: LLY) is planning to cut 5,500 jobs over the next few years and reorganize into five business units. The company is looking to reduce costs and accelerate how long it takes new drugs to get to market, especially as its top performers see their patents expire. This translates to a workforce reduction of close to 14% - to 35,000. This measure doesn't include new positions in emerging markets with high potential and Japan.

The company hopes to cut as much as possible through attrition and retirements - and it would not indicate how many other positions would have to be cut.

Eli Lilly's goal is to slash its annual cost by $1 billion during this restructuring. The new business units will be: cancer, diabetes, established markets, emerging markets and Elanco, which is its animal health business. This is a change from the existing functional model, which separates U.S. and global marketing for each drug in the company's portfolio. Through the new structure, Lilly says, drug development and marketing will be tied more closely.

Continue reading Eli Lilly to restructure, bet on drug portfolio

Eli Lilly to restructure, bet on drug portfolio originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Our latest pick combines two highly profitable asset classes, small caps and emerging markets," says Nicholas Vardy. In The Global Bull Market Alert, he an emerging markets ETF.

"The SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF (NYSE: EWX) offers you access to small caps in emerging markets that otherwise would be off limits.

"While some of the larger emerging market stocks trade in the United States, these smaller players never will.

"In addition, it's well known that U.S. small caps tend to outperform large caps over the long run. Their small size makes them nimble and quicker to react to changing market conditions.

Continue reading Vardy's view: Bet on emerging markets small caps

Vardy's view: Bet on emerging markets small caps originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Under the radar: IMF report on recovery contains good news, bad news

Under the radar: IMF report on recovery contains good news, bad news originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"When most people think of Africa, images of business and commerce don't usually spring to mind -- more like wildlife, safaris and famine," suggests Nathan Slaughter.

In The ETF Authority, he explains, "But those perceptions are beginning to change as these countries continue to industrialize. And at the vanguard of this transformation is South Africa." Here, he looks at the iShares MSCI South Africa ETF (NYSE: EZA).

Slaughter explains, "Once a backwater country shunned by most of the international community, South Africa has made great strides over the past decade and continues to evolve. Fifteen years ago the government began an aggressive overhaul of South Africa's economy.

Continue reading Out of Africa: ETF expert eyes South Africa

Out of Africa: ETF expert eyes South Africa originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Kimberly-Clark is undervalued

Kimberly-Clark is undervalued originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Some countries like Russia and China can draw on their foreign exchange reserves. Countries which do not have reserves will have to rely on private capital. The world Bank estimates that developing countries will be short up to $635 billion dollars.

Continue reading Are emerging markets the place to invest?

Are emerging markets the place to invest? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Monsanto provides the seeds of success

Monsanto provides the seeds of success originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Despite a 46% gain since adding iShares MSCI Brazil (NYSE: EWZ) to his portfolio, global expert Keith Fitz-Gerald still sees upside potential. Here's the latest from Money Map Reporter.

"History tells us that the best gains come to those who have the courage to buy undervalued companies in the face of extreme pessimism - and that sounds a lot like right now. So while we may not be at the very bottom, we are nonetheless pretty darn close.

Continue reading Money Map points to Brazil

Money Map points to Brazil originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Hershey delivers sweet profits

Hershey delivers sweet profits originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading To invest in U.S. Steel, you'll need nerves of steel

To invest in U.S. Steel, you'll need nerves of steel originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"We have been recommending iShares MSCI Brazil (ASE: EWZ) in our speculative portfolio," says mutual fund and ETF expert Mark Salzinger.

In The Investor's ETF Report, he adds, "But we now think Brazil's solid long-term economic fundamentals and the ETF's 'scompelling valuation and well-positioned companies offer exceptional return potential as a portion of some investors'core portfolios, too."

"Brazil's stock market was assailed on all sides in 2008, when EWZ declined by about 55%. Robust gains in the previous five years had priced Brazil's stocks dearly, and investors'decreased tolerance for any perceived risk saw them abandon emerging markets stocks in droves.

Continue reading ETF expert looks to Brazil

ETF expert looks to Brazil originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

DailyFinance today: bleak economy drives women to stripping, bull market rally in emerging markets, Geithner plan gains traction, ING wants bonuses back originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While most companies are taking steps to conserve cash, the CEO of MasterCard Incorporated (NYSE: MA) is pondering an overseas spending spree.

In a recent Reuters interview, President and Chief Executive Robert Selander expressed his willingness to ramp up MasterCard's investment in emerging markets, including high-profile countries such as Brazil and China.

"We are making investments in some of the emerging markets where we continue to see growth. We will probably increase some of those investments as the relative growth rate in those markets is better than some of our more mature and struggling economies," Selander told the news service.

Continue reading MasterCard CEO eyes investments in China, Brazil

MasterCard CEO eyes investments in China, Brazil originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading World Bank lowers China's growth forecast

World Bank lowers China's growth forecast originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The world's emerging markets are falling with amazing speed. This has caught everyone off guard. Let's look at some statistics that show the severity of this plunge:

• Taiwan's exports plunged 44% from the same month last year.
• Brazil's industrial production plunged 12.4% in December from the previous month.
• The Russian ruble and the Hungarian forint have dropped about 14% against the dollar.
• The South Korean currency, the won, has shed 8% of its value against the dollar and South Korea's industrial output dropped to its lowest level on record.
• The Mexican peso is at an all time low against the dollar.
• South Korea's exports fell more that 30% in January.

Continue reading Emerging markets are sinking fast

Emerging markets are sinking fast originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:30:00 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.

With all the media buildup leading up to the Olympic Games in Beijing this past summer, just about everyone and their brother was bullish on the China/India emerging market theme.

"Chindia," as it was coined, was supposed to be the next great economic wonder.

The belief that these markets did not need American demand swept international investment circles. Forecasts of double-digit GDP growth continuing for the next several years became the mantra of emerging market funds, and Wall Street analysts got caught up in the commodity bubble, which burst a month before the Olympic torch was lit.

The widely held belief of global economists was that these two sleeping giant economies would lap America in a matter of a few years, as per all the economic extrapolations and white papers published leading up to the Summer Games.

Stocks like Baidu.com (NASDAQ: BIDU), China Mobil (NYSE: CHL), China Life (NYSE: LFC), Huaneng Power (NYSE: HNP), PetroChina (NYSE: PTR), Infosys (NASDAQ: INFY) and Reliance Industries (not listed) seemed bulletproof given the revenue and earnings models being floated by the Chindia bulls.

Continue reading Best Trades of 2008: #1 Shorting 'Chindia' the day after New Year's

Best Trades of 2008: #1 Shorting 'Chindia' the day after New Year's originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.