http://seekingalpha.com/article/1070641-tvix-a-reverse-split-of-shares-on-this-volatility-product-what-does-it-mean-for-you

Credit Suisse (CS), which offers a variety of ETF and ETNs, announced December 14, 2012 that it is going to conduct a reverse share split on VelocityShares Daily 2X VIX Short Term ETN (TVIX). The TVIX along with products such as the ProShares Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF (UVXY) and the iPath S&P 500 VIX Short Term Futures ETN (VXX) are popular products used to gain exposure to volatility, as measured by the CBOE VIX, which is not directly investable. Recently, the VXX underwent a 1 for 4 reverse split and the UVXY underwent a 1 for 10 reverse split. Now the third one of these products that seeks to offer exposure to VIX futures, the TVIX is facing....READ MORE

A Potential Gem For Investors As Vista Gold Is Now Far Undervalued

As many of my readers know, gold and silver have pulled back significantly from their recent highs hit on October 4th this year. Gold and silver rose significantly following global central bank actions in August and September. Traders are continuing to take profits as the fear of a capital gains tax hike rises from the stalled fiscal cliff negotiations in Washington. At the time of this writing, the most popular gold and silver ETFs, the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) are down 4.4% and 6.9% in the last three months, respectively. The ETFs that track the miners of these metals such as the Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX) and the Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ), are down even further in the last three months compared to the metals they produce, losing 14.1% and 14.3%, respectively. In contrast, the Global X Silver Miners ETF (SIL) is down about the same as silver itself, losing 7.2% in the last three months. Given this selloff and the long term-tailwinds that gold and silver prices have due to central bank stimulus, I have opined that a buying opportunity has arisen for the long-term investor in silver and silver companies, as well as the best of breed gold stocks. In the present article, I highlight a

Why All That Glitters Is (Yamana) Gold And I'm A Buyer

Gold and silver have pulled back from their recent highs hit on Oct. 4 this year, after spiking significantly following global central bank actions in August and September. The most popular gold and silver ETFs, the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV), are down 2.5% and 3.1%, respectively, in the last week alone. In contrast, the ETFs that track the miners of these metals -- such as the Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX), the Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ), and the Global X Silver Miners ETF (SIL) -- are down slightly less in the last week at 1.7%, 2.9%, and 1.1%, respectively, but are down well over 10% each from the highs. When gold stocks hit lows at the end of July, I recommended them as buys. I reiterated these buys throughout the month of August, highlighting many companies along the way. As all of these ETFs and most gold stocks are off their highs, I believe now is a good time to consider establishing positions once again. I think they are still good buys at current levels for the long-term investor, as I see precious metal prices continuing to rise over time. Individual stocks, however, can offer substantially better returns relative to the ETFs if done carefully. A good combination to look for in a stock is one in which the underlying company offers growth, as well as a decent dividend. In this article, I highlight Yamana Gold (AUY) and its

10 Ways You Can Profit From The Fiscal Cliff

After the United States Presidential election, equity markets were hammered. Further, companies reporting third-quarter earnings delivered less than impressive results and many have been guiding lower for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2013. Add to this the proverbial "fiscal cliff" on every investor's mind, which has the potential to negatively impact everyone in the United States simultaneously, and there is major cause for concern. The fear of going over this devastating fiscal cliff has exerted much pressure on markets that many believe were only propped up by central bank actions in the months leading up to the election. However, in this past two weeks of trading, the markets have rebounded a bit higher on some positive rhetoric out of Washington that both Democrats and Republicans want to avert the cliff and the hope that they will do so. I believe the markets will continue to trade on news out of Washington for the remainder of the year in addition to trading on major economic news. It is more than likely that markets will trade up on days where progress on a fiscal cliff resolution is seemingly made, and trade down when it seems negotiations are failing and move minimally or trade flat in between. Most investors, including this author, do not believe that markets will trade flat come the fiscal cliff deadline. If we go over the cliff, investors may want to consider taking some bearish action should market panic ensue. Bearish conditions could lead investors to consider selling stock, selling covered calls on their positions, shorting stocks, buying puts or investing in a bear fund. If we have a resolution, it will most likely (depending on the terms of the resolution of course) be one of the most significant risk-on events in the last few years. In this case, bullish investors will be buying stocks and ETFs, selling puts, buying call options etc. While each of these approaches in a bearish or bullish scenario has their respective benefits and risks, in this article, I want to ....READ MORE

A Not So Obvious Reason To Be Bullish On Copper

Housing has finally come off its bottom and may be entering a long-term bull market. A strong indication of this reality is that the homebuilding stocks have been among the market leaders in 2012, as the SPDR S&P 500 Homebuilder ETF (XHB) is up 45.4% year-to-date. While homebuilding stocks including XHB, which holds a basket of such home-building equities, is certainly a strong buy on a confirmed housing rebound, owning copper is another lesser known but potentially highly rewarding pin action play to consider. If housing is indeed picking up again, it may serve as another catalyst for the price of copper because the home and office building construction sectors use approximately 40% of the copper in the United States, with direct residential construction constituting approximately two-thirds of the market. There are approximately 200 pounds of copper electrical wire in the average new home constructed in 2011. This figure doesn't even include the amount of copper wiring that goes into additional home appliances, plumbing and air-conditioning systems. If housing has bottomed and new home construction continues then copper should have a tailwind leading to prices continuing to rise as the housing and homebuilding market improves. There is some evidence that things are improving. United States homebuilder confidence was up sharply in July, and hit a five-year high in August. In September it ticked even higher to hit the best reading since June 2006 and rose even further in October. Coupled with increasing property sales in China, a rapidly growing country for housing, I think we could see increased copper demand in the next few quarters. I recommend the following methods right now to play copper...READ MORE

The Housing Rebound: Homebuilding Stocks Are Great But Don't Overlook Copper

The homebuilding stocks have been a leader in 2012 on the prospect that housing troubles have bottomed. The SPDR S&P 500 Homebuilder ETF (XHB) is up 46.4% year-to-date. While these stocks are the obvious buy on a housing rebound, such a rebound is a potentially overlooked reason to own copper by the average investor. If housing is indeed picking up again it could serve as a catalyst for the price of copper because the home and office building construction sector uses approximately 40% of the copper in the United States, with direct residential construction constituting approximately two-thirds of the market. There are approximately 195 pounds of copper electrical wire in the average new home constructed in 2010. This does not include the amount of copper wiring that goes into home appliances, plumbing and air-conditioning systems. For months and months we have been hearing about the so-called bottom in housing. If this is the case copper should continue to rise as the housing sector improves. There is some evidence that things are improving. United States homebuilder confidence was up sharply in July, and hit a five-year high in August. In September it ticked even higher to hit the best reading since June 2006. Coupled with increasing property sales in China, a rapidly growing country for housing, I think we could see increased copper demand in the next few quarters. I recommend the following methods right now to play copper...................READ MORE

Yamana Gold Will Shine And I'm Buying The Pullback

Gold and silver have been on a tear since central banks around the globe have been racing to debase their currencies in an effort to increase the money supply. First we had the European Central Bank's announcement of an unlimited bond-buying program. Then Ben Bernanke and the U.S. Federal Reserve announced a massive third round of quantitative easing, aka QE3, consisting of buying $40 billion in mortgage assets monthly until unemployment improves. Even the Bank of Japan announced its own round of easing. I suspect other central banks will follow. Given this climate of endless easing, I believe that gold and precious metals will continue to benefit. This week equities have been pulling back, including gold stocks, on Caterpillar's (CAT) earnings forecast and the turmoil in Europe. Even with the pullback the gold ETFs, IAU and GLD, and the silver ETF, SLV, are still up significantly in the last month, rising 4.3%, 4.4% and 9.8%, respectively. I began pounding the table on the precious metal ETFs as well as gold stocks at the end of July and silver stocks shortly thereafter. I reiterated these buys throughout the month highlighting many companies along the way. The mining company ETFs I recommended in August - GDX, GDXJ, NUGT and SIL - were up 9.1%, 6.5%, 26.7% and 11.8%, respectively, in the last month. For the mid- to long-term investor, existing central bank actions along with global uncertainty has already set the long-term trajectory of precious metal prices upward. I believe that gold and silver miners may outperform the metals over the next year or so as their correlation with the metals return to historical norms. In this article, I want to highlight a gold miner that I am buying on the recent pullback off of the highs. That company is Yamana Gold (AUY).........................READ MORE

Looking For A Silver Bet? Hear The Roar Of This Great Panther

Silver is poised for years of gains and I believe speculation in this metal could be very profitable if timed well with a good company. I have suggested that silver could outperform gold in the next 12 months and thus recommended considering some of the larger players in that metal. Silver is not only a precious metal but also has many industrial applications and thus will always have demand. Right now silver is priced around $32.30 an ounce. Gold is priced around $1692 an ounce. That represents a 52.5 gold to silver price ratio. On its own it doesn't mean much but the historical ratio is 16 to 1. The respective prices of gold and silver have not seen this ratio in quite some time and a reversion is well overdue. In order for this to happen the price of gold must plummet while silver holds stagnant or silver must rise at a higher rate than gold in the next few years. With central bank stimulus and inflation seeming ever more likely I think silver may be ready to breakout at a higher rate than gold. In fact, it seems to have already begun in August when the SPDR Gold Trust ETF (GLD) was up 4.9% while the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) far outperformed GLD being up 13.5%. My readers know that I have been adamant in my suggestion to own physical assets in these metals. For those investors that cannot or will not buy physical assets, I have pointed to the ETFs that track the price of metals as a second line approach. I recommend the SLV and ETFS Silver Trust (SIVR) for silver exposure second to physical coins and bullion. For the individual silver companies I recommend Silver Wheaton (SLW), Silvercorp mining (SVM) and Pan American Silver (PAAS). I think they are safe bets for the long-term. But the greatest returns are not always had from the safe play. Thus the purpose of this article is

Streaming Profits To Your Bank Account With Gold And Silver

Precious metals have had an absolutely amazing month. The SPDR Gold Trust ETF (GLD) was up 4.9% last month, while the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was up 13.5%. While the fast money has been made in the metals and mining stocks, I believe there are still profits to be made in the gold and silver companies near term and without question in the long term. I pounded the table in August on the gold miners and the silver miners as I repeatedly encouraged investments in the Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX), the Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ) and the Global X Silver Miners ETF (SIL). I further highlighted some of the major individual mining companies such as Barrick Gold (ABX), Goldcorp (GG), Silvercorp Metals (SVM) and Pan American Silver (PAAS). Through my research on these prior recommendations, I became familiar with a unique business model in the gold and silver space known as 'streaming.' A precious metal streaming company generates its profits by providing upfront financing for mining companies looking to expand and drill for precious metals. In exchange for the upfront financing of these companies, the streaming company acquires the right to purchase a portion of production generated from the mines at a fixed cost. I would like to highlight two companies involved in silver and gold streaming that I am closely watching over the next 12 months that I believe could outperform traditional miners. These companies are.....READ FULL ARTICLE

McDonalds going vegetarian...could be good for stock!

US fast food giant McDonald's, famed for its beef-based Big Mac burgers, on Tuesday said it will open its first ever vegetarian-only restaurant in the world in India next year. The world's second-biggest restaurant chain after Subway already tailors its menus to suit local tastes -- which in India means no beef to avoid offending Hindus and no pork to cater for Muslim requirements. It will open its first vegetarian outlet in the middle of next year near the Golden Temple in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar in northern India, where religious authorities forbid consumption of meat at the shrine. "It will be the first time we have opened a vegetarian restaurant in the world," a spokesman for McDonald's in northern India, Rajesh Kumar Maini, told AFP. After the opening in Amritsar, the US chain plans to launch another vegetarian outlet at Katra near the Vaishno Devi cave shrine in Indian Kashmir -- a revered Hindu pilgrimage site that draws hundreds of thousands of worshippers a year. It sees the potential for many more vegetarian restaurants across the country. McDonald's in India already has a menu that is 50 percent vegetarian. Its McAloo Tikki burger at 28 rupees or 50 cents -- which uses a spicy fried potato-based patty -- is the top seller, accounting for a quarter of total sales. Among the chicken-only meat offerings, the Maharaja Mac is also a favourite. Currently India, with its population of 1.2 billion, is still a "very small market for McDonald's", said Maini. "We have just 271 restaurants in India and across the world we have nearly 33,000," Maini said. The chain serves half a million customers a day in India, out of 50 million people it serves daily in over 100 countries. "When you look at the potential of the country, it's one of the top priority countries and we're laying the groundwork for capturing the market," said Maini. "We plan to nearly double the number of outlets to 500 plus within the next three years," he said. McDonald's realised soon after it entered the country that it had to rework its international menu to Indian tastes. "The reasons were very compelling -- cow slaughter is not allowed because of religious reasons and we couldn't do pork either," Maini explained. Hindus, who account for 80 percent of India's population, regard cows as sacred. For Muslims, the consumption of pork is prohibited in the Koran. "It was the whole idea of going local and creating flavours that would create acceptance for us," Maini said. "We had to look at the whole market innovatively and we realised only chicken-based and vegetarian food would work." McDonald's is not alone in "Indianising" its offerings. Domino's Pizza, another leading fast food chain in India, has created pizzas with extra spicy toppings. But growing consumption of food high in fat is spurring concern that India is importing the Western disease of obesity, creating a ticking public health timebomb.

Humor is good

Well the markets done well with him but nobody is working

Market holiday tomorrow

Reminder there is a market holiday tomorrow, no trading on the American Exchanges

Believe In A Housing Rebound? Consider Playing It By Buying Copper Exposure Now

There are a number of reasons to have exposure to precious metals such as gold, silver, platinum and copper in your investment portfolio. Perhaps as portfolio insurance or perhaps owning it in physical form, should we be faced with financial Armageddon. One potentially overlooked reason to own copper by the average investor is a rebound in housing. A rebound in housing could be a tremendous catalyst for the price of copper because the home and office building construction sector uses approximately 40% of the copper in the United States, with direct residential construction constituting approximately two-thirds of the market. There are approximately 195 pounds of copper electrical wire in the average new home constructed in 2010. This does not include the amount of copper wiring that goes into home appliances, plumbing and air-conditioning systems. Copper conducts electricity better than any other metal except silver, according to the Copper Development Association. Copper used for electrical wire is typically refined to at least 99.98 percent purity when used in the home electrical systems. Copper plumbing pipes are lightweight and very malleable, so they are easy for plumbers to work with and are frequently utilized in home construction. Copper pipe conducts heat well, so the pipes get warm during exposure to hot water and stay warm, helping to keep water consistently warm as it travels through the home. For months and months we have been hearing about the so called bottom in housing. Analyzing whether housing has rebounded off the bottom (finally) is.......SEE FULL ARTICLE

The Miners Have Outperformed Gold And Silver; 3 Stocks That May Outperform Platinum

Those who follow precious metals have likely taken note that gold is trading at a higher price than platinum recently. This is historically very rare and thus suggests to this author that platinum may soon rebound above gold prices. Since the mid 1990s platinum has generally traded 50% to 100% higher than gold. Right now platinum currently trades at $1516 an ounce whereas gold is now trading at $1660 an ounce. Although platinum is up approximately 13% this month, I think the current run up may have just begun. I have thus recommended considering adding physical platinum to your portfolio or investing an ETF such as (PPLT) in addition to owning physical gold and silver or the ETFs (GLD) and (SLV). In both the gold and silver space I have been recommending investing in individual miners as a third-line approach, behind owning physical assets or the GLD and SLV. While the GLD, SLV and PPLT are up 2.2, 10.9%, and 7.5 % respectively in the last month, the miners of these metals have been outperforming the metals over the last month. Gold and silver miners as measured by the (GDX) and the (SIL) are up 8.3% and 11.9%. To my knowledge the one ETF that tracks the price of platinum miners is the (PLTM). This index in my opinion is to be avoided as ....READ ARTICLE

Speculative Stocks For Those Who Believe Silver May Outperform Gold This Year

Speculation is always an interesting discussion. Right now there are a lot of unanswered questions driving the price of precious metals this month. Will the Fed step in and initiate yet another round of quantitative easing? Will the European Central Bank really do all they can to save the euro? Will China organize a soft landing or will it come down hard? Will the Republicans truly fight for some sort of gold standard in the United States? Have we reached so called peak gold? Will silver return to its historic 16 to 1 price ratio relative to gold? All of these questions are being asked by precious metals traders and their subsequent answers will impact the short and mid-term price trajectory of the metals. Regardless of the answers to all of these questions, one thing remains certain to this author; the long-term trajectory of the prices of precious metals is up, and thus speculation with a small portion of your portfolio in this space may not be a bad idea. I have suggested that silver could outperform gold in the next 12 months and thus recommended playing some of the larger players in that metal. My readers know that I have been adamant in my suggestion to own physical assets in these metals. For those investors that cannot or will not buy physical assets, I have pointed to the ETFs that track the price of metals as a second line approach. I recommend....READ ARTICLE

To Own Gold Or Silver? That Is The Question. May I Suggest...Both?

As most of us know by now, a third round of quantitative easing from the Federal Reserve is likely in the cards. A great way to position your portfolio ahead of central bank action is with gold and silver, either in physical form as I have previously recommended or in the form of an ETF that tracks the price of these precious metals such as (SLV), (GLD) or (IAU). In the last month, these ETFs have gains of 13.4%, 5.52% and 5.50%, respectively. The gold and silver companies tracked by the ETFs (GDX) and (SIL) have outperformed the aforementioned ETFs in the last month with returns of 16.75% and 23.76%, respectively. For those investors seeking possible returns in the precious metals sector that outperforms the returns from owning physical metals or the GDX and the SIL, I have recommended picking up an individual gold mining company or one of the silver companies. For those investors who want to play the individual companies, I am now suggesting that it is best to own both a company that primarily is gold oriented and another that is primarily silver oriented. In this article, I wish to highlight one gold company and one silver company that I believe are good buys at current levels ahead of possible QE3 and for the long term. I think owning both of the following companies together provides a strong risk reward ratio in the years ahead:.....READ MORE

Gold, Silver And Platinum? A Precious Metal Play To Consider

I have been recommending gold and silver in physical form or through one of the ETFs that tracks the price of the metals such as (GLD), (IAU) and (SLV) for the last month. I have also been recommending investing in individual miners for each of the metals as well. While the GLD, IAU and SLV are up 5.5%, 5.5% and 13.5% respectively in the last month due to the rising price of gold and silver, one of the world's most precious metals has not been receiving as much attention from the financial media. That metal is platinum, which is rarer than gold and silver and has many applications in industrial sectors. Platinum can be found in: Automobiles and machinery; used in catalytic converters, spark plugs, and sensors Chemical processing; can serve as a general catalyst to speed reactions Electrical/electronics; found in high-temperature and non-corrosive wires and contacts Glasswork Petroleum/oil refining; serves as a catalyst for crude oil cracking Jewelry; often used as a substitute for gold Dental/Medical equipment Investment form; bullion and coins Gold is trading at a higher price than platinum recently. This is historically rare and could mean platinum is due for a rebound above gold prices. Since the mid 1990s, platinum has often cost 1.5 to 2 times as much as gold. Platinum currently trades at $1545 an ounce, whereas gold is now above $1670 an ounce. While platinum is up approximately 14.5% this month, I think the current run up may have just begun and thus....READ MORE

Its Not Too Late To Ride The Bounce In The Gold Miners; How To Play It Right Now

After struggling for nearly a year straight, the gold mining stocks are starting to shine brightly. On average, they sold off more sharply than the price of gold in the past year. Gold prices dipped nearly 30% from their highs in 2011 to their lows in May. The gold miners, in contrast, as measured by the gold miner ETF (GDX), junior miners index (GDXJ) and Direxion Daily Gold Miner Bull 3X ETF (NUGT) were off a staggering 41%, 56% and 82%, respectively. They clearly had felt the brunt of that sell-off. Gold has traded in the $1,550 to $1,640 range since about late May, and is up 4% on the year so far. Gold was off to the races Tuesday as it was up nearly 17 dollars an ounce, breaking the $1640 mark. The ETF (GLD) was up over 1%, yet the gold miners were up significantly higher. At the time of this writing, the NUGT was up 6%, while the GDX and GDXJ were up 1.7% and 3.5%, respectively. I have previously recommended picking up the gold miners at the start of this upswing that began in August and I am reiterating my buy recommendation on the gold miners once again. Since trading began in August, the GLD is up 2% while GDX, GDXJ and NUGT are up roughly 10%, 13% and 25%, respectively. This is primarily because I see gold prices…READ MORE

Food Inflation From Worldwide Drought Could Push Gold Above $1900 An Ounce By Year End

I see possible food price inflation due to rising grain prices as yet another opportunity, and a reason, to own gold. Prior to this drought, deflation concerns had driven down the price of gold and the gold miners. Now, possible European stimulus, another likely round of QE3, and most notably, food price inflation are all significant tailwinds that will support the price of gold. In fact, gold closed above its 100 day MA and is forming a bullish engulfing chart pattern. I believe support relative to food cost inflation may be seen in the trading of December gold contracts at $1602 with possible topside resistance seen at $1645 and $1670 levels. A breakout above $1670 would be a massively bullish signal, and....READ MORE