Investing

The European economy and stock markets have even more pain coming. If you're invested in U.S. companies with a lot of business in Europe ... watch out. Their overall global tax rates could double ... maybe triple ... and crush profits. Here's why. Words:580

The Eurozone economy (and currency) – which was once on the brink of complete and utter disaster – is finally on the road to recovery....[Here is] a safe way for skittish investors (i.e. – the non-contrarians) to take advantage of the opportunity in Europe before it disappears. Words: 503; Charts: 1

One look at the chart below clearly illustrates that owners of Government bonds need all the help they can get right now!

Very few investors know about the potential benefits via the additional leverage that warrants can offer but they are substantial if you follow the 4 rules I present in the article below. Words: 766

The Dow has begun a major rally 13 times over the past 112 years which equates to an average of one rally every 8.6 years so, as it stands right now, the current Dow rally that began in March 2009 would be classified as well below average in both duration and magnitude.

We have NEVER been this overextended above this line at any point in the last 20 years. Indeed, if you compare where the S&P 500 is relative to this line, we're even MORE overbought that we were going into the 2007 peak at the top of the housing bubble.

The damage has already been done. Junior mining companies have already dropped 80%. Rather than wallow in the injustice of the apparent gold market manipulation, I believe it is better to apply the wisdom, "if you can't beat them, join them."

Although not perfect (nothing is), gold has a tendency to go up in the face of external shocks...[and] tends to have a low and sometimes negative correlation to US equities. As such, with stocks up, gold being down is not a terrible outcome for the investor using gold as a diversifier. Let me explain further below.

Are stocks in a bubble? While leverage has returned to the stock market driving up stock prices and aggregate demand in the process, margin debt is still shy of its all-time high as a percentage of GDP, so there is certainly some headroom for further rises. A look at the following 5 charts illustrate that contention quite clearly.

The warrant investor needs to be aware that owning the stock outright is the conservative approach. When using the warrant, the basic common stock MUST appreciate to a certain level BEFORE the warrant’s risk/reward basis becomes better than an outright stock purchase...