Continue reading Closing Bell: Forget 5.7% GDP, Bears Taking Charge (AMZN, MSFT, POT, AUTH, NBG, USU)

Closing Bell: Forget 5.7% GDP, Bears Taking Charge (AMZN, MSFT, POT, AUTH, NBG, USU) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: The down day that didn't feel too down (USU, WFMI, BID, ERTS, TIVO)

Closing Bell: The down day that didn't feel too down (USU, WFMI, BID, ERTS, TIVO) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Profit-taking leaves the markets directionless (BAC, COH, GOOG, USU, VLO, V)

Closing Bell: Profit-taking leaves the markets directionless (BAC, COH, GOOG, USU, VLO, V) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:10:00 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.

"If McCain is elected, we would suggest USEC (NYSE: USU); after slumbering for over 20 years, nuclear power is quickly emerging from hibernation and will be satisfying a much larger percentage of the nation's energy-hungry appetite during McCain administration," says value investor Nathan Slaughter, editor of Half-Priced Stocks.

"Currently, there are 104 nuclear plants in operation nationwide, which combined, account for 20% of the country's electricity. But both of those totals are set to rise markedly. Current forecasts suggest nuclear facilities could double their share and ultimately account for 40% of power in the U.S.

"There are several factors underpinning this resurgence in nuclear energy, not the least of which is $100 per barrel oil and elevated prices for natural gas and coal.

"Believe it or not, one kilogram of uranium-235 has the stored energy equivalent of 1,500 tons of coal. And while up-front construction expenses can be high, ongoing operating costs for nuclear reactors are running just $15-20 per megawatt hour, far cheaper than traditional plants.

"John McCain is an outspoken champion for the nuclear power movement, outlining ambitious plans to commit $315 billion towards the construction of 45 new reactors over the next two decades.

"Beyond that, he has a clear goal of achieving energy independence by building '100 new plants to power the homes and factories and cities of America.'

"All of this spells plenty of opportunity for USEC, owner of the nation's only uranium enrichment facility. The company is in the business of supplying fuel for commercial reactors around the world -- and competition is sparse.

"The firm also benefits from a longstanding nuclear non-proliferation treaty with Russia. Specifically, USEC participates in the salvaging of old Soviet nuclear warheads under the 'Megatons to Megawatts' program.

"The company has carved out a dominant market share and now supplies about half of the nation's enriched uranium (most of the rest comes from Russia).

Continue reading McCain stock: Mining gains with uranium miner USEC (USU)

McCain stock: Mining gains with uranium miner USEC (USU) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:30:00 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.

Which stocks would benefit from a victory by either Senator John McCain or Senator Barack Obama? To help investors sort through the sectors and stocks best positioned to benefit in a post-election environment, we posed this question to some of the nation's leading financial newsletter advisors.

Importantly, this is not a partisan report; each participating advisor has provided a favorite stock for both candidates, focused not on political preferences but unbiased stock analysis. Below we feature those stocks and ETFs that the advisors believe will be the winners depending on which candidate prevails.

McCain Stocks:

Roger Conrad - Comcast (NYSE: CCW)
Gregg Early - Elbit Systems (NASDAQ: ESLT)
Elliott Gue - Paladin Resources (Toronto: PDN)
Doug Fabian - Market Vectors Nuclear Energy (NYSE: NLR)
Vivian Lewis - Barclays (NYSE: BCS)
Bill Martin - CGG Veritas (NYSE: CGV)'
Yiannis Mostrous - Lonking Holdings (OTC: CIMHF)
Carla Pasternak - Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund (NYSE: EVT)
Nate Pile - SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD)
John Reese - General Dynamics (NYSE: GD)
Nathan Slaughter - USEC (NYSE: USU)
Paul Tracy - Shaw Group (NYSE: SGR)
Kelley Wright - CenturyTel (NYSE: CTL)
Tom Vass - Molex (NASDAQ: MOLX)
Martin Hutchinson - Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC), Merck & Co. (NYSE: MRK), EOG Resources (NYSE: EOG)

Obama Stocks:

Roger Conrad - SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR)
Gregg Early - AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV)
Elliott Gue - SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR)
Doug Fabian - Industrial Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: XLI)
Vivian Lewis - Cosan (NYSE: CZZ)
Bill Martin - Geron (NASDAQ: GERN)
Yiannis Mostrous - Dr. Reddy's (NYSE: RDY)
Carla Pasternak - Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (NYSE: KMP)
Nate Pile - Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL)
John Reese - American Eagle (NYSE: AEO)
Nathan Slaughter - Fluor (NYSE: FLR)
Paul Tracy - Market Vectors Global Alternative Energy (NYSE: GEX)
Kelley Wright - Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH)
Tom Vass - Ingersoll Rand (NYSE: IR)
Martin Hutchinson - Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX), First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR)

Election bets: Advisors vote on McCain and Obama stocks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"USEC (NYSE: USU) is the nation's leading supplier of enriched uranium for use in commercial nuclear power plants -- in fact, it is the only supplier," notes value investor Nathan Slaughter.

In Half-Priced Stocks newsletter, he explains, "Low-enriched uranium is commonly used as fuel in nuclear reactors, and no other company in the U.S. provides it, giving USEC a dominant position in a key niche market." Here is his review.

"Its competitive advantage? USEC has the single best competitive advantage there is: zero competition -- at least in the United States. While the firm does have a handful of rivals overseas, it has reaped the benefit of being the lone U.S. supplier.

"The company has also been awarded lucrative contracts to perform work for the U.S. Department of Defense.

"The company also benefits from the nation's longstanding nuclear non-proliferation treaty with Russia. Specifically, it participates in the salvaging of old Soviet nuclear warheads under the 'Megatons to Megawatts' program, which essentially gives the firm a sharply discounted source of uranium.

Continue reading USEC (USU): 'Ben Graham value play' in uranium

USEC (USU): 'Ben Graham value play' in uranium originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Can you add more of your own analysis here? We have to be careful about just kind of paraphrasing other people's stuff.

"We're going nuclear," says Mark Skousen. The editor of the premium Hedge Fund Trader newsletter notes that since 1985, demand for uranium has outstripped supply by 139%."

The advisor adds, "Now is an excellent time to add USEC Inc. (NYSE: USU) - which supplies low-enriched uranium for commercial power plants worldwide -- to your hedge portfolio." Here's his analysis.

Despite increased demand and limited supply, he says, very little has been done to correct the world's capacity to create more uranium. He notes, "That situation has driven spot prices sharply higher."

Skousen adds, "In addition, spot prices are likely to rise. Nuclear energy now supplies a full 16% of the world's total power. That number is expected to grow by leaps and bounds, as petroleum-based economies continue to seek lower-priced alternatives to oil.

Further, he notes, "An estimated 440 power plants in 30 countries now depend on uranium to run steel plants, auto assembly lines, mass transportation and thousands of factories.

China's current plans, he observes, call for building more than 29 new reactors to fuel the country's explosive growth. And, he adds, worldwide, 69 new nuclear reactors are already under construction or will be completed within the next 10 years. All this, he says, will require massive amounts of uranium to operate.

Domestically, he notes that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission just recently issued a construction and operating license for USEC's American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio. The license, he points out, is good for 30 years.

Says Skouosen, "Profits at USEC are surging already. Fourth-quarter net earnings climbed 35% to $40.1 million. And with nuclear energy looking like the best alternative to oil right now, the future looks bright.

For more stock picks from the leading financial newsletter advisors, visit Steven Halpern's free daily website, TheStockAdvisors.com.

USEC: Going nuclear originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 May 2007 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.