Dow Up 50 -

The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished higher for the third day in a row.  The 50 point gain on Thursday sets the market up for a Friday jobs report and possibly a light trading day.  The holiday weekend may have an effect on swings in the Dow on Friday as well as Tuesday.

To read a related Wall Street Journal article, please click here:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704206804575467152130719386.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_markets

Jim Sutliff

Posted in Banking Economic News Investments Stocks by Jim Sutliff. No Comments

Gasoline Prices Fall -

According to a survey of gas stations, gasoline preces fell an average of 7.43 cents over the last two weeks.  Gasoline stockpiles have also risen to their highest levels since March 12th.  Demand for gasoline is expected to decline in the coming months as the peak driving season comes to a close.

To read a related Bloomberg article, please click here:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-29/u-s-gasoline-price-falls-7-43-cents-a-gallon-to-2-6979-lundberg-reports.html

Jim Sutliff

Hindenburg Omen -

MarketBeat, the Wall Street Journal blog, has an article on the Hindenburg Omen and the possibilities of another stock market crash.  The Omen has predicted a major stock market crash 25% of the time and the criteria for the Omen has already been fulfilled twice  in August.  The criteria include several types of market data which include the number of new 52 week highs and lows.

To read the MarketBeat Wall Street Journal article, please click here:

http://blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2010/08/23/yes-folks-hindenburg-omen-tripped-again/

Jim Sutliff

Copper Prices -

Copper prices are fluctuating due to a weaker dollar and economic concerns.  Copper trading is within a specific range and it has yet to make a hard move in one direction.  However, the concerns regarding the U.S. and Chinese economies may have a strong effect on prices in the near future.  America and China are the largest buyers of Copper.

To read a related Bloomberg article, please click here:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-23/copper-may-slide-in-london-as-rebounding-dollar-erodes-demand-for-metals.html

Jim Sutliff

Posted in Banking Currency Investments Metals by Jim Sutliff. No Comments

GM Valuation -

The GM IPO is a major topic in financial circles and the valuation of the firm is at the center of discussions.  The Deal Journal has a good article on the number crunching behind the valuations.  The Dow Jones Investment Banker provided strong analysis of the financial position of GM.

To read the WSJ Deal Journal article, please click here:

http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2010/08/20/the-gm-ipo-valuation-how-about-110-to-130-a-share/

Jim Sutliff

GM IPO -

GM ha filed registration papers for their long awaited IPO.  The initial public offering is reported to include preferred as well as common stock.  This will provide the government with an opportunity to sell a portion of their stake in the firm as a result of the bailout.

To read a related Wall Street Journal article, please click here:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703649004575437351219441406.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTTopStories

James Sutliff

China Shifts From Dollar -

China is starting to make moves away from the U.S. Dollar and towards the Euro and the Yen.   Concerns relating to the U.S. economy were cited as one of the reasons.  China has the largest foreign exchange reserves amounting to $2.45 trillion.

To read a related Bloomberg article, please click here:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-15/china-favors-euros-over-dollars-as-bernanke-shifts-course-on-fed-stimulus.html

Jim Sutliff

Stocks Fall On Data -

Stocks tumbled on economic data and fears of relating to global growth.  The Dow finished 265 points lower on the day with all 30 Dow components declining.  Also, the Euro fell against the Dollar as investors looked for safe havens.  Slow trading at the end of summer may make for wider market swings.

To read a related Wall Street Journal article, please click here;

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704901104575422901187797266.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEADNewsCollection

Jim Sutliff

Master Limited Partnerships -

Bloomberg has an article on Master limited Partnerships and how they are gaining attention from investors.  MLPs are an investment topic that is rarely covered in the mainstream media.  Many of the securites are related to energy and natural resources.

To read the Bloomberg article, please click here:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-05/limited-partnerships-let-wealthy-play-energy-tycoons-in-quest-for-income.html

Jim Sutliff

Sideways Markets -

The Wall Street Journal has an article that discusses investing strategies for sideways markets.  This is an interesting article to read even if you disagree with some of the trading strategies.  Sliding sideways is common for some stocks in a back and forth market.

To read the Wall Street Journal article, please click here:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704657504575411881192753588.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_personalfinance

Jim Sutliff