Opinions

are still adding gold bullion to their reserves and the smaller countries are getting into the act big-time.  According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in the month of March, Iraq’s central bank added 36 tonnes of gold bullion to its reserves—worth about $1.5 billion. This is the first purchase

There are a whole bunch of brand-name stocks that recently appreciated back close to their highs, many of which will soon be reporting their earnings.  Despite this fact, however, it still seems like a very difficult environment in which to be a buyer. Stocks just aren’t that attractively priced; in

The first quarter, by all accounts, was a dud, especially if you were invested in blue chip stocks as the Dow Jones Industrial Average retracted 0.74% in the quarter.  Yet March also saw some shifting of capital from higher-risk assets into blue chips and large-cap stocks, as the NASDAQ and

The bottom is in, declares Oliver Gross of Der Rohstoff-Anleger (The Resource Investor), and the bulls are ready to charge. In this interview with The Gold Report, Gross says that the woefully undervalued juniors will exploit their leverage advantage, with best-in-class companies gaining as much as 500% to 1,000%—or more.

Israel has grown to become a key producer of technology and medical devices companies outside of the United States and Canada. We are talking about a very small country of less than eight million people, but which has become known as the “Silicon Valley of the Middle East.”  In fact,

season is here and a number of companies have already reported. Some offer more useful information about the general economy and their earnings are a decent barometer.  Paychex, Inc. (PAYX) is the second-largest U.S. payroll company. It just beat Wall Street consensus on revenues and earnings.  The company said its

In the midst of all the optimism we see towards key stock indices these days, there are two leading indicators that are flashing warning signals. They say, “Be careful, and don’t get caught up in the euphoria.”  Let’s start with the amount of money investors are borrowing to buy stocks… 

Over the weekend, I met with a friend of mine. He’s been a stock market investor for some time now, and over the last few years—especially since 2012 and 2013—he has done phenomenally well when it comes to his portfolio performance.  While talking to him about markets, he said something

valuations are severely stretched by historical standards. Earnings multiples and other financial ratios no longer make sense. But despite this, investors are still buying.  I continue to preach: the days left in the stock market’s rise are numbered.  As I see it, excessive speculation rules the stock market right now.

The business climate appears to be changing at Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ/MSFT), as the company attempts to evolve from its roots as a maker of operating systems for personal computers (PCs) to a more dynamic business focused on the surging mobile sector.  It has been a long time coming for this

It’s kind of odd to think about the railroad business providing such great returns to investors, but that’s what they’ve been doing. The old economy strikes again.  Union Pacific Corporation (UNP) just bounced off a record-high (again) on the stock market and the company reports April 17.  This company’s earnings

The United States Census Bureau reported consumer spending in the U.S. economy—adjusted for price fluctuation—increased by 0.2% in February from the previous month. In January, consumer spending increased by 0.1% after seeing a decline in December. (Source: “Personal Income and Outlays, February 2014,” United States Census Bureau web site, March

Like the rest of the market, Dynamic Funds is being choosy as it shifts cautiously from bullion to equities, in what Vice President and Portfolio Manager Robert Cohen describes as “baby steps.” In this interview with The Gold Report, Cohen explains his method of analyzing miners and discusses companies that

Folks, I’m beginning to get somewhat concerned about the stock market in the near-term. I’m not saying the stock market is going to crash, but there are some technical indications of a possible correction or adjustment in the near-term.  The S&P 500 recently traded at a new intraday record, but

In a nervous market trading right near its high, it’s worth looking for value. But there’s not a lot of it around, as stocks are fully priced and expectations for earnings are modest.  One company we’ve looked at before is Chart Industries, Inc. (GTLS) out of Garfield Heights, Ohio. This

For a moment, consider yourself a loan officer at a major bank. Would you approve a loan for a customer who says they earn $1,000 a month, spend $1,300 a month, and don’t have a job? They also tell you they have unpaid debts of $17,000.  I don’t think anyone

Remember what happened in the U.S. economy when the financial system was about to collapse? The banks weren’t lending to each other, businesses, or even consumers. The U.S. economy was in a deep economic slowdown. Investment banks like the Lehman Brothers had already collapsed and more would follow. Something had

We are seeing a rise in the demand for super-light and strong carbon fiber composite, which is used in multiple applications for both commercial and consumer use, based on my stock analysis.  Carbon fiber is known for its high weight-to-strength ratio and as such, it has been increasingly used in

If you have ever played the Candy Crush Saga game on your mobile device, you’d realize that the game, along with others like Flappy Birds, are merely a mobile phenomenon that could easily fade away over time once the addiction washes away, based on my stock analysis.  Yet for King

Going by the choppy trading action this year, investment risk with equities is going up.  Recent shocks to the system include events in Ukraine and Crimea, Chinese economic data, and Citigroup Inc.’s (C) failed stress test.  This is a very uneasy stock market, and because the main indices are right