Stocks fell for a fifth consecutive day as investors fretted about the happenings in Washington D.C.
Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesThe S&P 500 fell 0.3% to 1,692.77, suffering its longest slump since the six-day decline ending Dec. 28. � The Dow Jones Industrials dropped 0.4% to 15,273.26.
There’s plenty to be feeling bearish about. The U.S. government might be heading for a shutdown over its budget and the debt ceiling, while investors are still hoping for some clarity regarding tapering. Guggenheim’s Scott Minerd sums up the general malaise:
U.S. equities have become further extended, and there is a risk that the increasing economic headwinds could negatively affect earnings and share prices as the end of the year approaches. Additionally, the United States faces ongoing uncertainty over monetary policy and increasing concern in Washington about a possible government shutdown. With only three months remaining in 2013, a rebound in economic growth does not appear likely before the first or second quarter of 2014. The outlook for the economies and markets of Asia and Europe, however, appears much more positive, which the current decrease in U.S. interest rates will only reinforce.
Top 10 Beverage Stocks To Own Right Now: PowerShares DB Agriculture Fund (DBA)
PowerShares DB Agriculture Fund (the Fund) is a separate series of PowerShares DB Multi-Sector Commodity Trust (the Trust). The Fund�� subsidiary is DB Agriculture Master Fund (the Master Fund), a separate series of DB Multi-Sector Commodity Master Trust (the Master Trust). The Fund offers common units of beneficial interest (the Shares) only to certain eligible financial institutions (the Authorized Participants) in one or more blocks of 200,000 Shares, called a Basket. The proceeds from the offering of Shares are invested in the Master Fund. The proceeds from the offering of Shares are invested in the Master Fund.
The Master Fund invests with a view to tracking the changes, whether positive or negative, in the level of the Deutsche Bank Liquid Commodity Index Diversified Agriculture Excess Return (DBLCI Diversified Agriculture ER (the Index)) plus the excess, if any, of the Master Fund�� income from its holdings of United States Treasury Obligations and other short-term fixed income securities over the expenses of the Fund and the Master Fund. The Index is calculated to reflect the change in market value of the agricultural sector. The commodities comprising the Index are corn, soybeans, wheat, kansas city wheat, sugar, cocoa, coffee, cotton, live cattle, feeder cattle and lean hogs (the Index Commodities). The Master Fund also holds United States Treasury Obligations and other short-term fixed income securities for deposit with the Master Fund�� commodity broker as margin. The Index is composed of notional amounts of each of the underlying Index Commodities.
DB Commodity Services LLC serves as the managing owner, commodity pool operator and commodity trading advisor of the Fund and the Master Fund. The Bank of New York Mellon serves as the administrator of the Fund and the Master Fund.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tim Gallagher]
In a loosely related write-up, "Cheap Corn, Weak Wheat, Stockpiles Of Soy: A Bet On The 'Softs' With A Commodity Fund," Aug. 6 2013; (includes: ADZ, AGA, AGF, CBOE, CME, DAG, ICE, MOO, PAGG, RJA), I covered the Deutsche Bank PowerShares DB (DB) Agriculture Fund. (DBA) is based on Deutsche Bank's Liquid Commodity Index Diversified Agriculture Excess Return™ and managed by DB Commodity Services LLC. This, and the other ETFs, ETNs and funds included in the byline are all decent ways to play the agriculture "softs" and livestock markets, if that's what investors want to gain more exposure to.
- [By John Udovich]
Just when you think the global warming (excuse me, climate change)�warnings could not get anymore hysterical or�goofier (Niagara Falls and the Great Lakes have frozen over after all), Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc (NYSE: CMG) is sounding the alarm (which may rally all of the Sofritas vegan tofu eaters of America)�over�its potential�threat�to�guacamole, but small cap avocado stock Calavo Growers, Inc (NASDAQ: CVGW) continues to grow investor returns no matter what the weather is doing and has outperformed PowerShares DB Agriculture Fund (NYSEARCA: DBA).�First and as noted by ThinkProgress.org, Chipotle Mexican Grill�� latest Annual Form 8-K reported:
- [By Richard Stavros]
Whereas in the 1970s there were limited ways to hedge against inflation, now there is a cornucopia of currency and international commodities instruments that can not only hedge against inflation but other global shocks, such as market bubbles and even war.
And it is these very scenarios that investors have been worried about. Since the beginning of the year, stocks, bonds and just about any investment you can think of have gyrated wildly at various times amid concerns of war, inflation and the possibility that the U.S. equity market is overvalued and headed for a correction.
In response, some market analysts in Bloomberg news reports have offered any number of wildly unsubstantiated statements for why investors should ignore today’s perils. They dismiss the danger posed by Russia�� annexation of Ukraine�� Crimea region (��utin will stop short of other countries or war with the West��. They also argue that the Federal Reserve chairwoman misspoke (��anet Yellen really didn�� mean a rate hike is coming soon. Inflation is under control. It was a rookie mistake��.
For my money, here’s the most outrageous: The Shiller Cyclically adjusted P/E metric which has predicted the 1929, 2000 and 2007 downturns doesn�� apply (��uggests only a slightly expensive market with low to moderate returns going forward on average��.
With new records being set by the S&P 500 in the last few months, it stands to reason that some investors have not needed much convincing to stay all in and buying. This mindset has prevailed, even as the impact of a Russian war or conflict, runaway inflation or a market correction could be devastating to investor portfolios, taking years to recover.
If you��e never thought of certain investments as “insurance,” it�� time to start now. Protecting wealth is as important as building wealth. And as previously mentioned, we have found that the Inflation Survival Letter�� Thri - [By Hilary Kramer]
The broadest is probably the PowerShares DB Agriculture Index fund (NSYE: DBA), which invests in agricultural commodities, industrial metals, gold and a substantial (60%) weighting to oil, gas and other fuels. On the other extreme, plenty of single-metal and crop funds have hit the market, although so far very few of them are anywhere near as liquid as the underlying commodity markets.
Top Consumer Service Companies To Watch For 2014: Pervasive Software Inc.(PVSW)
Pervasive Software, Inc. provides embeddable software and SaaS services for data management, data integration, B2B exchange, and analytics. Its embeddable Pervasive PSQL database engine provides database reliability in a near-zero database administration environment for packaged business applications. Pervasive Software?s multi-purpose data integration platform, available on-premises and in the cloud, accelerates the sharing of information between multiple data stores, applications, and hosted business systems, and allows customers to re-use the same software for diverse integration scenarios. Pervasive DataRush is an embeddable parallel-processing platform enabling data-intensive applications, such as claims processing, risk analysis, fraud detection, data mining, predictive analytics, sales optimization, and marketing analytics. The company serves customers in approximately 150 countries. Pervasive Software, through Pervasive Innovation Labs, also invests in the explorat ion and creation of solutions for the data analysis and data delivery challenges. Pervasive Software, Inc. has a strategic alliance with A.D.A.M. Inc. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas with additional offices in Greenville, South Carolina; Brussels, Belgium; Frankfurt, Germany; Paris, France; and London, the United Kingdom.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
Pervasive Software(R) Inc. (NASDAQ:PVSW), a global leader in cloud-based and on-premises data innovation, reported that it is in receipt of an unsolicited non-binding letter from Actian Corporation proposing to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Pervasive common stock for $8.50 per share in cash.
Top Consumer Service Companies To Watch For 2014: Calumet Specialty Products Partners L.P.(CLMT)
Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. produces and sells specialty hydrocarbon products in North America. It operates in two segments, Specialty Products and Fuel Products. The Specialty Products segment processes crude oil and other feedstocks into various customized lubricating oils, white mineral oils, solvents, petrolatums, gelled hydrocarbons, cable fillers, natural petroleum sulfonates, waxes, and compressor lubricants. Its products are used in applications in a range of industries, such as industrial goods, including metal working fluids, belts, hoses, sealing systems, batteries, hot melt adhesives, pressure sensitive tapes, electrical transformers, refrigeration compressors, and drilling fluids; consumer goods, including candles, petroleum jelly, creams, tonics, lotions, coating on paper cups, chewing gum base, automotive aftermarket car-care products, lamp oils, charcoal lighter fluids, camping fuel, and various aerosol products; and automotive goods, such as motor oils, greases, transmission fluid, and tires. The Fuel Products segment processes crude oil into various fuel and fuel-related products, such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and heavy fuel oils. This segment also offers fuel-related products, including fluid catalytic cracking feedstock, asphalt vacuum residuals, and mixed butanes. Calumet GP, LLC serves as the general partner for Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. The company was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Robert Rapier]
As its name suggests, Calumet Specialty Products Partners (Nasdaq: CLMT) isn’t a conventional refiner. It’s a refiner of petroleum-based specialty products and fuels, with 11 domestic production facilities spread across Louisiana, Texas, Montana, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. In addition to gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and asphalt, the partnership produces solvents, mineral oils, waxes and specialty lubricants.
Top Consumer Service Companies To Watch For 2014: Sturm Ruger & Company Inc. (RGR)
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of firearms in the United States. The company offers its products under the ?Ruger? name and trademark in four product categories, including single-shot, autoloading, bolt-action, and sporting rifles; over and under shotguns; rimfire autoloading and centerfire autoloading pistols; and single action and double action revolvers. It also manufactures and sells accessories and replacement parts for its firearms. In addition, the company produces and sells investment castings made from steel alloys. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. sells its firearms through a network of selected licensed independent wholesale distributors; and markets investment castings through manufacturer?s representatives to commercial, sporting goods, and military sectors. The company was founded in 1948 and is based in Southport, Connecticut.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Traders Reserve]
Investors can also consider $1.43 billion gun manufacturer Sturm, Ruger (RGR) which recently purchased a 220,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in North Carolina. That highlights the company�� confidence that demand will remain strong. Production begins the first quarter of 2014, and Sturm plans to invest more than $26 million in the plant by the end of 2017.
- [By James O'Toole]
Although the pace of sales has moderated in recent months, gun stocks remain a popular choice among investors. Smith & Wesson shares are up nearly 44% on the year, while fellow gun maker Sturm Ruger (RGR)is up nearly 60%.
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