In a recent article* Morgan Stanley tobacco analyst David Adelman compares the average price of a package of cigarettes to how long it takes to buy that package based on minutes of work. How many minutes do you think it takes to pay off a pack of cigarettes in Canada, the U.S. etc.? Words: 557

For the past few months, existing home sales levels have been weaker than expected. The focus, however, should not be on the weakness of the headline numbers. In actuality, the softening in existing home sales is showcasing the potential for acceleration in new home sales. [Let me expain.] Words: 1205

Gold is one of the rarest metals in the world, and has a long history as a valuable and intensely sought-after element. The precious metal has served as the basis for physical currency for thousands of years, and many monetary systems throughout human history have utilized a gold standard that focused on the precious metal. Exploration and production of gold has become a major industry in regions that maintain significant deposits of the metal, and quests for gold have been the impetus of countless expeditions and discoveries. [Below are a list of the top 10 gold producing countries, the top 10 gold producing companies and a definitive guide as to the multiple options of investing in the metal.]

With recent numbers positive for housing realtors, politicians, and others with vested interests, are quick to claim we are on our way back - but are such numbers really meaningful and sustainable? Many more objective analysts, however, are less sure or disagree with this conclusion that the bottom has been reached yet. Here's what some of them have to say. Words: 1377

All thing considered, it seems clear that the long-term real returns of gold have been poor (compared to stocks and bonds), and I see no reason to expect long-term price appreciation for gold to be above inflation. In fact, as with any non-income producing asset, it would be unreasonable to expect gold to provide significant positive real returns over an indefinite period of time...I would argue that buying gold is a short-term gamble that is completely dependent on the unpredictable vagaries of perception, market psychology and the "greater fool" theory...While it is true that gold can be a good short-term trade and offer superior returns over shorter periods (as has been the case in recent years) I believe that stocks will continue to substantially outperform gold over time. [Let me explain these less than popular conclusions further.] Words: 1258

While best known for its use in the five cent coin, nickel has far more strategic uses. Nickel can be alloyed with other metals to create truly extraordinary materials - such as stainless steel which now accounts for more than half of all nickel consumed. China’s stainless steel consumption has increased 1625% in the last 10 years and is now the largest demand driver for nickel worldwide accounting for 40% of global totals. There’s still a lot more room for growth in the industry and nickel’s diversified supply is expected to keep prices stable, so the savvy investor should look for low cost nickel projects in safe jurisdictions. Check out the infographic below for more insights.

The S&P500 is likely to achieve a secular (long term) peak this month, then drop to the 500s by July-August 2013. This article explains why. Words: 1803

Just because central bankers are printing money does not mean that...investors should just buy gold companies at random. They still have to consider valuation [and this article does just that]. Words: 1017

It's that time of the year again where we examine how gold and silver have performed against 75 fiat currencies around the globe.

The shale revolution has come as a surprise to many, but natural gas is now so plentiful and cheap that it could be an energy game changer. This infographic explores natural gas, its properties, natural gas market dynamics, supply forecasts, demand, the shale revolution, and the switch from coal to natural gas.