Look for the silver lining. Silver is catching the imagination of investors across the country. Investors who want a piece of the precious metals boom are buying silver in droves.

Why silver? Why now? Gold has moved sharply higher this year and is out of reach of many investors. Silver, on the other hand, is relatively cheap at about $27 per ounce. For a small premium over bullion, you can buy a Silver Eagle coin. Coin sales are up 22% over last year and up 30% over 2007, as reported by CNBC.com

Continue reading Near-Record Demand Drives Silver Prices Higher

Near-Record Demand Drives Silver Prices Higher originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Worthington Industries (WOR), a metals manufacturing entity based in Columbus, Ohio which counts AK Steel (AKS) as a colleague, issued third-quarter results on Thursday morning. By the end of yesterday's session, the market had spoken: it didn't like the data at all. The stock ended in the red by well over 6%, on strong volume.

According to the press release, net income became a net loss this time around, coming in at 22 cents per share. That compared to a positive profit of 2 cents per share in the similar quarter in 2009. Cash flow for the nine-month period fell 40%. Cash was used for operations in Q3 itself.

Continue reading Worthington's Q3 Report: Market Sells News, Should You Buy?

Worthington's Q3 Report: Market Sells News, Should You Buy? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading ArcelorMittal Downgraded to Hold from Buy

ArcelorMittal Downgraded to Hold from Buy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

China Investment Corp. (CIC), a sovereign wealth fund responsible for managing China's foreign exchange reserves, has disclosed to the SEC that its holdings in major U.S. companies now total $9.6 billion. According to reports, the fund totals nearly $2.5 trillion. Using that capital, and acting as a passive investor, CIC is buying minority positions in major companies. The stakes that CIC holds in major U.S. corporations represent small pieces by percentage, but the total investment to date is worthy of note.

Manufacturing.net has reported that CIC has disclosed the following: "... small holdings in dozens of companies including, $353.8 million in Visa Inc., $6.3 million in Apple Inc., $9 million in Coca-Cola Co. and $1.4 million in Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. It also listed a $1.7 billion stake in Morgan Stanley." It should be noted that these are all minority holdings in publicly traded companies. Beijing is intentionally avoiding investments that might be deemed politically sensitive.

Continue reading Keeping an Eye on China's U.S. Investments, Manufacturing

Keeping an Eye on China's U.S. Investments, Manufacturing originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Feb 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.

"Whenever inflation heats up, there's no better place to park your cash than in tangible commodities," says Nathan Slaughter.

In his The ETF Authority, he noes "Our favorite play on this sector is Market Vectors Hard Asset Producers (HAP), an ETF whose 300-stock portfolio provides one-stop shopping for six distinct commodity sub-sectors."

Continue reading Top Picks for 2010: Market Vectors Hard Assets (HAP)

Top Picks for 2010: Market Vectors Hard Assets (HAP) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"We're adding Brazil's Vale S.A. (NYSE: VALE), the world's leading iron ore producer, to our model growth portfolio," says growth stock expert Stephen Leeb.

In his The Complete Investor, he explains, "This outstanding company offers investors simultaneous stakes in two key areas: iron ore-a commodity essential to any and all infrastructure projects-and Brazil's appreciating currency, the real.

"When it comes to understanding the importance of a commodity such as iron ore, the tale starts with China. Even with China's GDP growth again approaching double digits, the Chinese government continues to aggressively promote growth, offering consumers incentives to buy cars and investing in infrastructure, from roads to bridges to sewers to energy plants.

Continue reading Vale S.A. (VALE): Mining for value in iron ore

Vale S.A. (VALE): Mining for value in iron ore originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

For the first half of 2010, almost two thirds of money managers are bullish, according to Barron's. In fact, 54% are bullish, and 5% are "very bullish." Responses suggest that the Dow Jones Industrial Average is expected to gain another 5% by the end of the year.

According to Barron's, "Today's bullish investors see the major stock indexes making steady progress through next June, amid signs the U.S. economy is on the mend after a searing recession."

Continue reading Healthcare, tech and energy to outperform in next 12 months

Healthcare, tech and energy to outperform in next 12 months originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Aluminum producer Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA), the first Dow Jones Industrial Component to report earnings, beat estimates when they announced after the bell -- or so the story goes. It continues that this touched off buying interest across the market that had been sorely lacking in prior sessions. There's only one problem: Alcoa's results weren't very good, and they didn't boost the market.

Alcoa opened trading today up more than 5.5% from its close yesterday, before it reported earnings. Going into the final minutes of trading, the stock was down more than 2% -- a tough reversal for those buying on the pop. The company reported a headline EPS of -$0.32, or -$0.26 excluding restructuring charges. This compared to analysts' consensus of -$0.38 on $3.9 billion in revenue.

Continue reading Don't believe the headline hype on Alcoa

Don't believe the headline hype on Alcoa originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Alcoa: An ongoing aluminum apocalypse?

Alcoa: An ongoing aluminum apocalypse? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post was written by Minyanville contributor Lance Lewis.

Banro (NYSE: BAA) jumped 13% yesterday after the company announced that it had finally completed its bankable feasibility study on its Twangiza project and proved up nearly 4 mln ounces of its 10 mln ounce resource. Thus, we can now calculate an NAV for BAA.

BAA has no debt. So, assuming $1,000 gold, 3.67 mln ounces of Proven & Probable reserves, an average cash cost of $429 per ounce over the life of the mine (which is based on the feasibility study), and the estimated $410 mln required for cap ex, we get an NAV of almost $15 a share (which gives zero value to the company's current cash balance of around $20 mln and its remaining 5.6 mln ounce resource at Twangiza, not to mention the resource estimates at its other properties).

Continue reading Banro (BAA): A golden stock

Banro (BAA): A golden stock originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:15:00 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.

"We own several stocks in our portfolio that are selling for less than their book value and with a P/E ratio of less than 5 -- but the prize among bargains is Teck Cominco (NYSE: TCK), our most promising stock for 2009," says Neil Macneale.

In his 2 for 1 newsletter -- which initially buys stocks when they announce 2-for-1 splits, he says, "It would be hard to argue this company is not literally being given away."

Macneale explains, "I bought this stock for the 2-for-1 portfolio over a year and half ago and its stock price has declined by about 90% since then.

"The Canadian mining company produces copper, zinc, gold, and metallurgical coal. All assets are in North America except for most of its copper operations, located in Peru.

"With a PE ratio bouncing between 1 and 2, and a Price-to-Book ratio at around 0.3, you are getting a well-established (1906), well-run asset play for less than its book value, even if existing plant and reserve values are slashed by over 50%.

Continue reading Top Stock Picks '09: Teck Cominco (TCK)

Top Stock Picks '09: Teck Cominco (TCK) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Platinum is a picture-perfect image of a classic bull market that's getting more exciting by the day," says resource expert Eric Roseman.

In his Commodity Trend Alert the advisor explains, "Prices continue to explode higher amid the largest supply shortfall for any precious metal this decade. As such, I'm urging my readers to buy the new E-Tracs UBS Long Platinum ETN (NYSE: PTM)."

"Find me a commodity -- any commodity -- that's approaching or extending a net supply deficit situation and I'll compel you to buy that commodity ahead of a major rally; that's what's happening now to platinum. Indeed, no other precious metal is suffering more from growing supply shortages since last year -- and it's getting worse.

"Platinum production in South Africa, which accounts for about 80% of global output, declined 4.9% to 5.04 million ounces in 2007 as a result of smelter closures and a host of safety issues that interrupted mining operations.

Continue reading Resource expert picks platinum fund

Resource expert picks platinum fund originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Two months into the year and investors' true 'metal' was tested, and mine more than most. February showed signs of improvement over January, but the last week ended hopes of any rally. The last day of January saw a 370 point drop in the Dow and February's last trading day closed with similar results, down 315 points.

The soft stock market did display many points worth noting. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was about break even for the month, indicating investors were showing some signs of support for large cap stocks, prompted in part by news of increased profits at Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) and share buy-backs at IBM Corp (NYSE: IBM).

I cannot say the same for the other major indices, NASDAQ Composite Index and Standard & Poor's 500 Index, which dropped significantly last month.

Some of my picks also sagged a little more, although not as much, while two turned into positive territory. In January, only Raytheon Co. (NYSE: RTN), the high tech, defense contractor, was up. In February, the weak dollar and inflation concerns boosted Anglo American plc (ADR) and Reliance Steel & Aluminum (NYSE: RS) -- two commodity plays.

Continue reading Chasing Value: February review -- 8 stocks for 2008 -- testing my 'metal'

Chasing Value: February review -- 8 stocks for 2008 -- testing my 'metal' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Investors were pleased with the earnings news from specialty metals manufacturer Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (NYSE: ATI). They bid the stock up some 6% Tuesday, January 29 despite the fact that shipments and operating profits in 4Q2007 slipped and are expected to continue to be soft in 1Q2008.

For the year, Allegheny Technologies posted record sales of $5.45 billion, up 10%. Net income shot up 30% to a record $747 million. Cash flow increased by $121 million so that the company has more cash than debt, operating profit increased by 23%, EPS hit $7.26, and international sales topped $1.5 billion, another record. As a result, Allegheny Technologies initiated a half-billion dollar stock buy-back program and raised the dividend for the third straight year.

Overall, the picture looks good, but there are some negatives. Raw material costs continue to increase. Demand for stainless steel products was "extraordinarily weak," offset in part by stronger demand for tungsten and tungsten carbide products. Demand remains strong in the commercial aerospace and defense segments which results in strong demand for titanium based products for aircraft frames. Supply chain uncertainties with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, however, may curtail operating profits in that segment.

Given its diverse product offerings, its expanding joint centure in China, Allegheny Technologies appears able to withstand whatever the U.S. economy will do in the coming months.

Allegheny Technologies has bad quarter, good year originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gold soared to a new record high Friday on reports that South African mines were halting their operations, due to power supply problems, Bloomberg News reported.

Gold hit a record $924.30 per ounce before pulling back slightly, and was up $14.20 to $920.00 per ounce in mid-day Friday trading.

South Africa's AngloGold Ashanti Ltd., Gold Fields Ltd. and Anglo Platinum Ltd. shut their South African mines because of power problems, Bloomberg News reported. South Africa is the world's No. 2 producer of gold, behind China.

Continue reading Gold hits record $924 on South African mine power problem

Gold hits record $924 on South African mine power problem originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Jan 2008 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Metal Management (MM) is one scrappy company originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Private equity may be dead, but it is not buried. The Blackstone Group (NYSE: BSX) is working on a bid to buy and split up mining company Rio Tinto (NYSE: RTP). Metals company BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP) has already made an offer of its own.

According to The Telegraph, "the U.S. private equity giant is in the middle of putting together a consortium -- believed to include a Chinese sovereign wealth fund -- to mount the bid for Rio." Blacktone's plan would be to break Rio Tinto into pieces and auction them off.

Rio Tinto has a current market cap of over $150 billion, so the U.S. firm must believe that it can garner much more than that for the pieces. Rio's largest business is its iron ore operation.

The move is a sign that private equity may be making a comeback, but with a twist. So far there is no mention that bank loans will be part of the Rio bid. It would appear that most of the support will come from a fund run by an affiliate of the Chinese government.

Private equity may have found a new financial partner in overseas government funds.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

Blackstone (BX) looks at Rio Tinto (RTP) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

What are the best speculations and investments among metals, miners, and other resource plays? To find out, I turned to 20 of the nation's leading newsletter editors, as well as speakers from the recent New Orleans Conference, a leading forum for resource advisors.

Their current top ideas cover a wide diversity of ideas, from gold and silver, from alumina and copper, to platinum and palladium. These picks cover markets from Chile to China and from Canada to Russia. These ideas also range from large cap, well-established, and diversified companies to small cap, development-stage junior speculations.

Readers should only consider these ideas as a starting place for their own research and should keep in mind the caveat that any stock you buy should only be considered within the framework of your own time horizon and risk parameters. Meanwhile, here are 20 different advisors assessing various aspects of the metals, mining, and resources sectors:

Continue reading Top resource ideas: 20 advisors on metals, mining, and money

Top resource ideas: 20 advisors on metals, mining, and money originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Harsco capitalizes on a contemporary trend

Harsco capitalizes on a contemporary trend originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.