Oil Stocks' correction coming? Not that again

Oil Stocks' correction coming? Not that again Companies: NDX Apple Inc. RELATED QUOTES Symbol Price Change NDX 0.00 0.00 AAPL 585.57 +0.01 Related Content A trader in the S&P 500 options pit at the Chicago Board of Trade looks at an order board shortly after the Federal Reserve's decision to leave short-term interest rates untouched between zero and 0.25 percent in Chicago, January 25, 2012. REUTERS/Frank PolichView Photo A trader in the S&P 500 options pit at the Chicago Board of Trade looks at an order board shortly after the Federal Reserve's decision to leave short-term interest rates untouched between zero and 0.25 percent in Chicago, January 25, 2012. REUTERS/Frank Polich By Angela Moon NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors are beginning to wonder if this 'Energizer Bunny' of a rally can just keep going without taking a break or a fall. Every Friday for the past couple of months, the question has hung in the back of investors' minds: Is the stock market's rally strong enough to continue without a correction? Even with the S&P 500 above levels unseen since before the financial crisis, the answer remains: Yes. The broad market index broke through 1,400 -- a psychologically important level -- for the first time in four years last week. On Friday, the S&P 500 closed at 1,404.17, its highest since May 20, 2008. At Friday's close, the index was up for nine out of the past 10 weeks. The rally has taken the Nasdaq up to a 12-year recovery high, while it lifted the Dow (DJI:DJI) comfortably above 13,000 to its highest level since December 2007. 'We are seeing this unbelievable rally in the market and yet the market is unbelievably complacent. We haven't been this bullish for a long time,' said Randy Frederick, director of trading and derivatives at the Schwab Center for Financial Research, based in Austin, Texas. Indeed, the CBOE Volatility Index or VIX (MXP:VIX), Wall Street's fear gauge, plunged to a five-year low despite the S&P 500's stunning gain of 12 percent for the year so far. The VIX measures the expected volatility in the S&P 500 index over the next 30 days and generally moves in the opposite direction of the broad market. Investors often use VIX options and futures as a hedge against a market decline. Frederick said the only concern is the wide spread between second- and third-month VIX futures, suggesting a rise in volatility in the longer term. But the front-month futures that expire this week have come down to levels near the spot VIX. The VIX fell 6.2 percent on Friday to end at 14.47, its lowest close since June 2007. 'I would like to see the VIX around 17 just because it tends to have a significant pop when there is bad news at current levels,' Frederick said, adding that 'frankly' there isn't that much negative news out there. STRENGTH IN MIDCAPS Further evidence of the market's bullish sentiment: The S&P 400 Midcap Index <.MID> has popped above the 1,000 mark, an area of strong resistance since last year, according to Ryan Detrick, a senior technical strategist with Schaeffer's Investment Research, in Cincinnati. 'It's a big area of resistance, but we have moved above this. If we manage to stay here, then the strength in the overall market will advance further,' Detrick said. 'Historically, April has been a strong month so we can even see the market going up to 1,440, which is the high made in May 2008,' he added. TRACKING THE BIG APPLE The direction of Apple shares (NSQ:AAPL - News) will also be in focus this week after the stock hit the $600 mark for the first time in history last week, only about a month after it topped 500. Apple currently accounts for about 18 percent of the Nasdaq 100 stock index (NAS:NDX - News). Its weighting was cut to 12.3 percent from 20.5 percent last April, but the price surge has pushed the stock's weighting back up, making this index of 100 well-known companies hostage to the performance of a few technology titans like Apple. With Apple's heavy weighting, investors are questioning whether the broad market can continue to rally even with a pullback in Apple shares. The Nasdaq Composite Index (NAS:COMP), the barometer of tech stocks, closed on Friday at 3,055.26 -- its highest close since November 2000. 'It's a name that a lot of people have exposure to so it definitely has an impact on indexes, but it seems even without Apple, the money gets put to work in other sectors and stocks,' Detrick said. While the VIX has been sliding, the expected volatility in Apple has increased, judging by a VIX index that tracks Apple options. Apple, like IBM and other bellwether names, has its own VIX index. The CBOE Apple VIX index <.VXAPL>, which measures the expected 30-day volatility of the underlying shares of Apple, jumped 35 percent last week, suggesting more gyrations ahead as more investors speculate on short-term moves.

Signals BRICS call for open selection of next World Bank chief

Signals BRICS call for open selection of next World Bank chief MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A meeting of BRICS major emerging countries discussed the selection process of the next head of the World Bank and emphasized it should be open to all countries, rejecting the tradition that the job automatically goes to an American, a senior BRIC official said on Saturday. The official, speaking after a meeting of the BRICS - Russia, South Africa, Brazil, India and China - said the United States had not circulated the name of its proposed candidate for the World Bank. Asked whether emerging economies could field their own candidate for the post, the official said: 'That is certainly a discussion we will have.' (Reporting By Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Oil >SESA GOA: Sesa –Sterlite Merger Update

Oil Sesa –Sterlite Merger Update During the quarter, the Company announced the Scheme of Amalgamation and Arrangement amongst Sterlite Industries (India) Limited, The Madras Aluminum Company Limited, Sterlite Energy Limited, Vedanta Aluminium Limited. After merger the company name will be changed from Sesa Goa Limited to Sesa Sterlite Limited.In this regards,the Company received the approval of the stock exchanges where its shares are listed, and the Competition Commission of India. The application of the Company before the Foreign Investment Promotion Board is pending consideration. The Company has also filed the schemes for the approval of the relevant courts and to seek their directions for convening the meetings of its shareholders and creditors, as may be necessary under the applicable laws.


Revenue growth declined, better than our estimate: During the quarter, revenue of the company degrew by 23% Y-o-Y to `27943mn in Q4FY'12 (our estimate `19730mn) compared to `36236mn in Q4FY'12 on the back of lower volume growth due to ban in Karnataka mining and mining lease expiration in Orissa. 


Volume production continued to be hurt on the back of mining activity: During the Q, production of saleable iron ore fell by 11%Y-o-Y to 4.9mn ton compared to 5.5mn ton of corresponding quarter of previous year where full sales contribution came from Goa. However, total saleable iron ore production declined by 4%Y-o-Y to 4.9mn ton in Q4FY12 compared to 5.1mn ton in Q4FY11. Total sales declined by 21%Y-o-Y to 5.2mn ton in Q4FY12 compared to 6.6mn ton in Q4FY11. Out of total sales, volume sales declined by 17%Y-o-Y to 4.9mn ton from Goa, 60%Y-o-Y fell at 0.2mn ton from Karnataka. 


Higher expenditure impacted operational efficiency; EBITDA declined by 26%: Total expenditure of the company grew by 19%Y-o-Y as a percentage of sales to `17974mn (our estimate `9058mn) in Q4FY'12 compared to `15052mn in Q4FY'11 out of which raw material cost, O&M expenses, employee cost and S&D cost increased by 9%, ~25%, ~32 and 61% respectively during the Q4.. Hence EBITDA declined by 52%Y-o-Y to `9969mn (our estimate `10671mn) in Q4FY12 compared to `21183mn in Q4FY'11. PAT also fell more than expected by ~52% Y-o-Y to `6963mn (our expectation `8648mn) compared to `14617mn in Q4FY11. 


Margins too remain subdued: EBITDAM fell by 3897bps to 35.6% (our estimate 54%) in Q4FY'12 compared to 58.4% in Q4FY'11. PBDTM and PBTM fell by 3344bps and 3740bps to 39.7% and 38.6% respectively on the back of higher total cost. PATM too declined to 24.9% (our estimate 42.9%) in Q4FY'12 compared to 40.3% in Q4FY'11. 


Outlook & Valuation: We value the company based on SOTP valuing based on conservative approach) its core operations on a FY13 EV/EBITDA multiple of 3x (earlier 4x) at `127 and b) Cairn Investment based on market cap (discounted at 25%) at `113. At our revised valuation our target price is maintained at `212/share (adjusted Debt), the stock offers a potential upside of around ~15% from the current level; we recommend 'Buy' rating on the stock.


To read report in detail: SESA GOA

RISH TRADER

Earn Top Yielding Electric Utilities

Earn With the volatility of the stock market recently, many investors have decided to stick with the tried and true income generating investments called utilities. Investors like the steady income and relative stability of electric utility stocks, which pay quarterly dividends. Some income investors use a 'laddering' technique, whereby they purchase three utilities with dividend payout days in different months, in order to achieve income coming in every month of the year.

The yields on these stock range from 3.0% to above 7.0%, according to the free list of electric utility stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. There are over 30 different utilities to choose from.

An interesting utility is Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. (HE). This is one of the leading utilities involved in the utilization of renewable energy sources for the generation of electricity. The sources include wind, solar, photovoltaic, geothermal, wave, hydroelectric, sugarcane waste, municipal waste, and other biofuels. There must be something to this as the latest reported quarterly earnings ending December 31 were up over 38% on a 22% increase in revenues. With a 4.7% yield and trading at 17 times forward earnings, this stock might be worth a closer look. On May 8, the company reports earnings for the quarter ending March 31.

 Duke Energy (DUK) also pays 4.7%, as does Westar Energy (WR). They also both happen to have forward price to earnings ratios of 14.

Another high yield example is Ameren Corporation (AEE), which operates as a public utility holding company which serves customers in Missouri and Illinois. The stock trades at 17 times forward earnings and pays a nice yield of 5.0%. This St. Louis based company generates its electricity from coal, nuclear, gas, and hydroelectric sources. The company reports earnings on May 4.

For a list of over 30 high yield electric utility stocks, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

 By Stockerblog.com

Forex THQI - Earnings Release Tomorrow May 15th After the Close

Forex

THQI reports earnings tomorrow.  I don't think this stock is going lower.

26% of the Stock is in the hands of short sellers.

Today THQI traded so almost 500k in volume.  The total share volume that is short  is 14.26 million shares per Yahoo Finance.  That's over 28x today's volume.

The shorts are betting on THQI going bankrupt.  They have increased their bets in spite of a positive report from the company last month.

Look around your neighborhood.  Are the kids out playing stick ball?  Or inside playing video games.  THQI is the future, not the past.  This formerly $35+ stock has been in the dog house a long time and deservedly so.  The company is turning the corner and the shorts are either going to lose big, or  be scrambling to cover. 

Some of you may recall FFN a stock with a similar price and short interest.  The stock was at $.51 when I said that I though the short sellers were being over zealous. I was spot on.

FFN went from $.51 to over $2.70 a share.  Those who listened to me turned upwards  of 500% on that NASDAQ stock.

I think THQI will also see a short squeeze as shorts cover their positions.  Tomorrows earnings report could very well be the impetus.  Just imagine 14 million shares being covered in a stock that averages only 1 million shares the last 10 days.




THQ Fiscal 2012 Fourth Quarter Results to Exceed Prior Expectations


Year-End Cash Balance of $76 Million Significantly Exceeds Prior Guidance
AGOURA HILLS, Calif., Apr 18, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) today provided preliminary, unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2012. For the fourth quarter, THQ expects to report non-GAAP net sales of $160 million to $170 million, which is above the company's previous outlook of non-GAAP net sales in the range of $130 million to $150 million. Revised net sales expectations reflect:
-- continued strong net sales of the critically-acclaimed Saints Row(R): The Third(TM), which to date has shipped in more than four million units;
-- higher-than-expected digital sales, largely driven by the robust digital content of Saints Row: The Third; and
-- slightly higher-than-expected net sales of UFC(R) Undisputed(R) 3, which was released mid-February 2012 to highly-favorable critical reviews, achieving an average Metacritic score of 85.
The company currently expects a fiscal fourth quarter non-GAAP net loss per share in the range of $0.10 to $0.20, compared to its previous expectation of a net loss per share in the range of $0.35 to $0.50.
THQ expects to report cash and cash equivalents of approximately $76 million at March 31, 2012, three times higher than the previous expectation for its year-end cash balance, due to better-than-expected operating results in the fourth quarter, as well as earlier-than-anticipated cash receipts. Additionally, the company ended the quarter with no outstanding borrowings on its $50 million credit facility, and did not borrow against the facility during the quarter. The company expects to utilize a substantial portion of its cash and cash equivalents as well as its credit facility as it launches its slate for the 2013 fiscal year, beginning with Darksiders(R) II.
THQ's GAAP results for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2012 are expected to include non-cash software development charges of approximately $30 million to $50 million resulting from decisions made related to the company's previously-announced product strategy.
THQ will report full GAAP and non-GAAP fiscal 2012 fourth quarter and full-year results, along with a reconciliation of those results, and provide its outlook for fiscal 2013 on Tuesday, May 15, 2012. Conference call details will be provided closer to the date.
About THQ

Oil China to reform, grow economy, IMF eyes freer yuan

Oil Chinese Vice-Premier Li Keqiang gestures as he talks to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing February 15, 2012. REUTERS/How Hwee Young/PoolView Photo Chinese Vice-Premier Li Keqiang gestures as he talks to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing February 15, 2012. REUTERS/How Hwee Young/Pool By Kevin Yao and Koh Gui Qing BEIJING (Reuters) - China cannot delay tough economic reforms, Vice Premier Li Keqiang said on Sunday, underscoring the top leadership's push for market-based change after the sacking last week of an ambitious provincial leader who wanted a bigger state role in the economy. Li, widely expected to succeed Wen Jiabao as premier in a leadership transition that begins later this year, promised flexible policies to keep growth brisk and prices stable, with a focus on boosting domestic demand and pursuing structural reforms to make growth more stable and balanced. 'China has reached a crucial period in changing its economic model and (change) cannot be delayed. Reforms have entered a tough stage,' Li said, echoing comments made by Wen last week. 'We will make policies more targeted, flexible and forward-looking to maintain relatively fast economic growth and keep price levels basically stable,' Li said in a speech at an economic policy conference, attended by top Chinese officials, the head of the IMF and dozens of foreign business leaders. He said China would 'deepen reforms on taxes, the financial sector, prices, income distribution and seek breakthroughs in key areas to let market forces play a bigger role in resource allocation'. Li's renewed emphasis on reform-led growth comes after Wen said slower growth and bolder political reform must be embraced to keep the world's second largest economy from faltering and to spread wealth more evenly, promising to use his last year in power to attack discontent that he warned could end in chaos. Wen told a news conference at the end of the National People's Congress (NPC) that growth would be made more resilient to external pressures, domestic property and inflation risks deflated and 10.7 trillion yuan ($1.7 trillion) in debt racked up by local governments dealt with, while also promoting political change. He cut China's official 2012 growth target to 7.5 percent, down from the 8 percent targeted in each of the last eight years, aiming to create leeway to deliver reform of items including subsidies, without igniting inflation. China's annual rate of inflation cooled to 3.2 percent in February, below the government's 4 percent target for the first time in more than a year. But policymakers remain particularly sensitive to elevated commodity prices, given China's huge imports of raw materials. PRO-GROWTH POLICIES CRUCIAL Zhang Ping, head of the country's top planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission, told the Sunday conference that economic policies maintaining relatively fast growth were key to the country's future. 'First of all, we need to maintain steady and relatively fast economic growth -- development is the key for resolving all problems in China,' Zhang said. The government would maintain prudent monetary and pro-active fiscal policies, and stand ready to fine-tune settings -- a consistent refrain from China's leaders since the autumn of 2011. The show of unity over pro-market reform took on new significance last week when China's central leadership moved to bolster control over the southwest city-province of Chongqing after ousting its contentious but popular chief, Bo Xilai. The calls for unity with the ruling Communist Party's top leaders were emblazoned on the front pages of Chongqing newspapers on Saturday. They made no mention of Bo, removed from power after a scandal when his Vice Mayor Wang Lijun took refuge in February in a U.S. consulate until he was coaxed out. After arriving in Chongqing in 2007, Bo, 62 and a former commerce minister, turned it into a bastion of Communist revolutionary-inspired 'red' culture and egalitarian growth, winning national attention with a crackdown on organized crime. His self-promotion and revival of Mao Zedong-inspired propaganda irked moderate officials. But his populist ways and crime clean-up were welcomed by many residents and others who hoped Bo could try his policies nationwide. Li said that while the overall trend of China's economy was stable with sound fundamentals, it faced structural obstacles that must be overcome, adding that Beijing would push forward structural reforms while encouraging technological innovations to generate new sources of economic growth. CURRENCY REFORM CARROT International Monetary Fund managing director, Christine Lagarde, dangled an additional reform carrot at the same economic forum on Sunday, saying that the yuan could become a global reserve currency with the right mix of market-oriented structural change. 'What is needed is a roadmap with a stronger and more flexible exchange rate, more effective liquidity and monetary management, with higher quality supervision and regulation, with a more well-developed financial market, with flexible deposit and lending rates, and finally with the opening up of the capital account,' Lagarde said. 'If all that happens, there is no reason why the renminbi (yuan) will not reach the status of a reserve currency occupying a position on par with China's economic status.' China, the world's biggest exporting nation and the second-largest importer, has long wanted to break the dollar's dominance as the principal global unit of cross-border trade, in part to battle internal inflation risks and also to enhance Beijing's influence on the international financial system. China's has a closed capital account system and its currency is tightly controlled. Although Beijing has increased the use of the yuan to settle cross border trade, undertaking a series of reforms in recent years to that end, yuan settlement was only about $300 billion in 2011, which Chinese exports were worth about $1.9 trillion. Li said he expected China's total trade to maintain double-digit growth this year. The government has an official target of 10 percent growth in both imports and exports for 2012. Exports are a key source of demand and jobs for China's vast factory sector and have been a principal driver of wealth creation for much of the last decade in the wake of the country's accession to the World Trade Organization. China's trade balance plunged $31.5 billion into the red in February as imports swamped exports to leave the largest deficit in at least a decade and fuel doubts about the extent to which frail foreign demand drove the drop. Li said that there were some encouraging signs emerging about the pace of global economic recovery, and forecast that China's total trade would top $10 trillion in the five years 2011-2015, but added that the outlook was not certain, with efforts to resolve Europe's debt crisis still evolving. Economists expect China's annual economic growth to slow to close to 8 percent in the first three months of 2012, down from 8.9 percent in the last quarter of 2011. That would be the fifth successive quarter of slower growth and leave China on track to end the year with its weakest expansion in a decade. A raft of economic indicators in the last two weeks have signaled that China's economy is on a gentle glide lower and on course to avoid a so-called hard landing. (Writing by Nick Edwards; Editing by Don Durfee and Jonathan Thatcher)

Oil Obama seeks power to merge agencies

Oil WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama on Friday took aim at his government's own messy bureaucracy, prodding Congress to give him greater power to merge agencies and promising he would start by collapsing six major economic departments into one. Pressing Republicans on one of their own political issues, Obama said it was time for an 'effective, lean government.' Obama wants the type of reorganizational authority last held by a president when Ronald Reagan was in office. Obama's version would be a so-called consolidation authority allowing him to propose only mergers that promise to save money and shrink government. The deal would help Obama considerably by entitling him to an up-or-down vote from Congress in 90 days. Still, final say would remain with lawmakers, both on whether to grant Obama this fast-track authority and then in deciding whether to approve any of his specific ideas. 'We can do this better,' Obama declared in an event with business owners at the White House, even presenting slides to help make his case. 'So much of the argument out there all the time is up at 40,000 feet, these abstract arguments about who's conservative or who's liberal,' Obama said. 'Most Americans — and certainly most small business owners — you guys are just trying to figure out how do we make things work, how do we apply common sense. And that's what this is about.' In an election year and a political atmosphere of tighter spending, Obama's move is about more than improving a giant bureaucracy. He is attempting to directly counter Republican arguments that he has presided over the kind of government regulation, spending and debt that can undermine the economy — a dominant theme of the emerging presidential campaign. Republicans have often aligned themselves with smaller government. So politically, Obama is trying to put the onus on Republicans in the House and Senate to show why they would be against the pursuit of leaner government. From Capitol Hill, a spokesman for Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the top Republican in the Senate, pledged Obama's plan would get a careful review. But the spokesman, Don Stewart, also said: 'After presiding over one of the largest expansions of government in history, and a year after raising the issue in his last State of the Union, it's interesting to see the president finally acknowledge that Washington is out of control.' Obama has an imperative to deliver. He made the promise to come up with a smart reorganization of the government in his last State of the Union speech last January. At the time, Obama grabbed attention by pointing out the absurdity of government inefficiency. In what he called his favorite example, Obama said: 'The Interior Department is in charge of salmon while they're in fresh water, but the Commerce Department handles them when they're in saltwater. And I hear it gets even more complicated once they're smoked.' The White House said the problem is serious for consumers who turn to their government for help and often do not know where to begin. Not in decades has the government undergone a sustained reorganization of itself. Presidents have tried from time to time, but each part of the bureaucracy has its own defenders inside and outside the government, which can make merger ideas politically impossible. That's particularly true because 'efficiency' is often another way of saying people will lose their jobs. Obama hopes to enhance his chances by getting Congress to give him the assurance of a clean, relatively speedy vote on any of his proposals. There is no clear sign that Obama would get that cooperation. He spent much of 2011 in utter gridlock with Republicans in Congress. In the meantime, Obama announced Friday that Karen Mills, the administrator of the Small Business Administration, would be elevated to Cabinet-level rank. But her job would essentially disappear if Obama has his way. If he gets the new fast-track power to propose legislation, Obama's first project would be to combine six major operations of the government that focus on business and trade. They are: the Commerce Department's core business and trade functions; the Small Business Administration; the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative; the Export-Import Bank; the Overseas Private Investment Corporation; and the Trade and Development Agency. The goal would be one agency designed to help businesses thrive. The White House says 1,000 to 2,000 jobs would be cut, but the administration would do so through attrition; that is, as people routinely leave their jobs over time. The administration said the merger would save $3 billion over 10 years by getting rid of duplicative overhead costs, human resources divisions and programs. The name and potential secretary of the new agency have not been determined. The point, the White House says, is not just making the government smaller but better by saving people time and eliminating bureaucratic nightmares. The idea for the consolidated business agency grew out of discussions with hundreds of business leaders and agency heads over the last several months. Brendan Buck, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said streamlining government was always a potentially good idea but expressed wariness about whether Obama's plan would really help business. 'American small businesses are more concerned about this administration's policies than from which building in Washington they originate,' Buck said. 'We hope the president isn't simply proposing new packaging for the same burdensome approach.' According to the White House, presidents held such a reorganizational authority for about 50 years until it ran out during Reagan's presidency in 1984. Obama has a series of other ideas about consolidating departments across the government, to be rolled out later.

Oil Hotel industry looks for deal pace to pick up

Oil LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hotel companies and real estate firms are optimistic that deal transactions will pick up this year despite concerns about Europe's economy and challenges in obtaining debt financing. While a business-led economic recovery has helped lift U.S. hotel occupancy rates, development is still a soft spot as tight credit conditions have limited new-hotel builds. Still, there is a growing sense that the hotel sector has momentum and performance will continue to improve. 'People are expecting 2012 to be a pretty positive year, with solid performance by the industry in terms of the demand for hotel accommodations and the ability to get deals done,' Arthur de Haast, chairman of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, said at this week's Americas Lodging Investment Summit. The hotel investment services firm has forecast that hotel deals in the Americas this year will at least match the 2011 level in value of an estimated $15 billion. U.S. hotel deal activity picked up in the first half of 2011 but calmed in the latter part of the year as debt woes in Europe began dominating the headlines. While Europe is still a risk, attendees at the three-day hotel conference said a continued recovery marked by rising room rates would make the sector attractive for investment. 'There's a lot of money on the sidelines waiting to pounce and find opportunities,' said Christian Charre, president and chief executive of the Charre Group, a Florida-based hotel brokerage and consulting firm. FOREIGN MONEY Private equity funds that have capital will be in a good position to make acquisitions, some said. Real estate investment trusts were active buyers in the first half of 2011 but are expected to be quieter this year as their share prices suffered in the latter part of 2011. 'The mix of the investors probably will change,' said Sri Sambamurthy, co-founder of real estate firm West Point Partners in New York. He said Middle Eastern, European and Asian investors especially find the U.S. market to be extremely attractive now. 'The U.S. is still considered very safe, the dollar has performed extraordinarily well,' Sambamurthy added. Hotel companies said they were looking to make acquisitions in a bid to expand their reach. 'No question that we'll be active in the marketplace in 2012,' said Paul Whetsell, president and chief executive of Loews Hotels, which owns and/or operates 18 hotels. The unit of Loews Corp (NYSE:L - News) has committed more than $500 million to acquiring hotels or developing new properties. Whetsell said Loews is looking for 4-star or higher-rated hotels in major cities where it does not have a presence such as Boston, Washington, San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles, as well as smaller markets like Charlotte, North Carolina, and Baltimore, Maryland. Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH - News), which franchises hotels focused mainly at the mid-tier and economy market segments under brands such as Comfort Inn and Econo Lodge, said it is in the hunt to acquire a value-oriented, full-service upscale brand that would help attract more business customers.

Earn How To Become A Penny Stock Guru Subscriber

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Signals May 1st Winners, Losers, and Bottom Scan

Signals

Today's Winners and Losers

Today's Bottom Scan

Signals IMF leads global push for euro zone to boost firewall

Signals IMF leads global push for euro zone to boost firewall The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde attends a session at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, January 28, 2012. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde attends a session at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, January 28, 2012. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann By Paul Carrel and Emma Thomasson DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde led a global push on Saturday for the euro zone to boost its financial firewall, saying 'if it is big enough it will not get used.' Lagarde, supported by the British finance minister, George Osborne, said the IMF could boost its support for the euro zone but pressed its leaders to act first. Some attendees at the Davos Forum still doubted the viability of the currency union. Countries beyond the 17-country bloc want to see its members stump up more money before they commit additional resources to the IMF, which this month requested an additional 500 billion euros ($650 billion) in funding. 'Now is the time - there has been a lot of pressure building in order to see a solution come about,' Lagarde told a Forum panel discussion on the economic outlook from which euro zone leaders - most notably Germany - were conspicuously absent. 'It is critical that the euro zone members develop a clear, simple firewall that can operate both to limit the contagion and to provide this sort of act of trust in the euro zone, so that the financing needs of that zone can actually be met,' she said. Lagarde's comments rounded out a crescendo of calls at the Davos Forum for the euro zone to boost its financial defenses. The annual five-day conference began with German Chancellor Angela Merkel deflecting pressure to do so. In a carefully worded keynote address, Merkel suggested doubling or even tripling the size of the fund may convince markets for a time, but warned that if Germany made a promise that could not be kept, 'then Europe is really vulnerable.' On Friday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner pressed Europe to make a 'bigger commitment' to boosting its firewall. Two bankers who attended meetings with Geithner at the Forum said on Friday the United States was looking for the euro zone to roughly double the size of its firewall to 1.5 trillion euros. There was no immediate comment from the U.S. Treasury. Osborne said the currency bloc must beef up its firewall before other countries increase their funding to the IMF. 'I think the euro zone leaders understand that,' said Osborne, the only European minister on Saturday's panel discussion on the global economic outlook in 2012. 'There are not going to be further contributions from G20 countries, Britain included, unless we see the color of their money,' he added, calling for the euro zone 'to provide a significant increase in available resources.' MORE OPTIMISM...FOR SOME Japanese Economics Minister Motohisa Furukawa echoed Osborne's comments, saying: 'Without the firm action of Europe, I don't think the developing countries like China or others are willing to pay more money for the IMF.' On condition that the euro zone boosts its own defenses, he said Japan and other countries were willing to additional support via the IMF. Lagarde said, however, that if the international lender's resources were boosted sufficiently, this would raise confidence to such a degree that they would not be needed. 'If it is big enough, it will not get used. And the same applies to the euro firewall for that matter,' she added. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, speaking to the Forum by video link from Tokyo, said Japan was working with South Korea and India to reduce the risk of the euro zone crisis spreading to Asia. 'Japan stands ready to support the euro zone as much as possible,' he added. Mexico's central bank chief, Agustin Carstens, said on Friday he believed a consensus was building on boosting the IMF's resources to help European countries and others that might need aid from the global lender. There has been a palpable sense of hope at the Davos Forum that the euro zone is pulling back from the brink of catastrophe, though business leaders are equally worried that Europe's woes will hold back a global recovery. Osborne saw some signs of optimism. 'People have commented on the mood of this conference being quite somber but having been here for a couple of days people have also pointed out that actually people are slightly more optimistic at the end of the week than the beginning,' he said. However, Davos 2011 also ended on upbeat note about the euro zone and a feeling that worst of the crisis was over - only for the situation to deteriorate and financial markets to turn their fire on Italy, the bloc's third biggest economy. 'The euro zone is a slow-motion train wreck,' said economist Nouriel Roubini, made famous by predictions of the 2008-09 global banking crisis. He expected Greece, and possibly Portugal, to exit the bloc within the next 12 months and believed there is a 50 percent chance of the bloc breaking up completely in the next 3-5 years. Hong Kong's Chief Executive, Donald Tsang, said no matter how strong the euro zone's firewall is, the market will look at the nature of the economies it is protecting. 'If it is protecting insolvent economies...no matter how strong the firewall is, it won't survive,' he said. (Additional reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by Jon Boyle)

Forex Weidmann-Bundesbank profit will be crimped by reserves

Forex Weidmann-Bundesbank profit will be crimped by reserves BERLIN (Reuters) - The Bundesbank profit turned over to the federal government will be considerably smaller this year than in 2011 due to the risk provisions linked to the euro zone crisis, central bank president Jens Weidmann was quoted telling Der Spiegel. Weidmann said the German central bank had to raise its reserves due to the greater risks and had consulted with its accountants. In 2012 the Bundesbank had a 2.2 billion euro profit and set aside 1.6 billion for risks. 'The distributed profit will be considerably less than last year,' Weidmann said, without providing any specific numbers. Weidmann also said that he had doubts whether European central banks will be able to make a profit on Greek sovereign bonds that euro zone countries are eager to use as part of the latest Greek bailout. 'It's assumed that the central banks will earn a profit from purchasing the bonds. But that is not certain at all. On the contrary, the balance sheet risks have increased. And that affects not only the Greek bonds but also all the extraordinary monetary measures related to the crisis.' (Reporting By Erik Kirschbaum; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)

Oil >MAGMA FINCORP: Q4FY12 Result update

Oil

In line with estimates

Magma's Q4FY12 numbers, in-line with our estimates, reflect continued pressure on profitability though disbursement growth remains healthy and asset quality has held up well. It should be noted that the recent change in accounting policies renders YoY comparison inconclusive and misleading. We retain Buy rating on attractive valuations and price target of Rs101.

■ Disbursements growth momentum slows but healthy: Disbursements in Q4FY12 grew by a healthy 28% YoY (though slower than 50% in Q3) with the Cars & Utility segment (48% YoY) and high yield assets (up 71% YoY) driving this growth. The mix of the high-yielding assets was stable QoQ at 25% in Q4FY12. The strong growth in Cars & Utility segment, despite moderation in overall auto sales volumes in recent months, stems from Magma's 1) rural and semi-rural focus where demand remains healthy and 2) new branch additions.

■ Spread stable QoQ: Reported spreads for Q4FY12 at 4.3% are stable QoQ, despite 30bps contraction in asset IRRs, as cost of funds came down in sync. The contraction in asset IRRs can be traced to 1) higher strategic CE disbursals and 2) shift in loan mix. From a funding source perspective, the management is making a conscious effort to reduce reliance on the banking system, which remains the chief source of funds. For FY13, the spreads should improve as banks have begun cutting base rates and liquidity should be relatively better than FY2012.

■ Collection efficiency at ~101%: Collection efficiency remains strong at 101% for Q4FY12 giving us significant comfort considering the challenging in operating environment. Strong collection efficiency and healthy credit quality of the book helped contain the write offs (at 0.2% for FY12). Given the slowdown in economy and higher share of high yielding assets, we expect the write-off ratio to move up from the current level. In line, this should keep the credit costs stiff at ~85bps during FY13.

■ High earnings growth ahead: Based on management's views, if we exclude the impact of change in accounting policies during FY12 the proforma PAT stands at Rs1550mn (vs Rs780mn reported), which implies a growth of 27% YoY. For FY13, we expect Magma to report an impressive growth at bottomline level led by the fact that YoY comparison will now be possible. 

■ Cheap valuations, Reiterate Buy: We continue to like the stock due to cheap valuations, large potential for growth, and a seasoned senior management team that has seen multiple cycles and has a clear focus on containing risks. Moreover, Magma would be a key beneficiary of reversal in interest rates due to its reliance on whole-sale funding and large part of loan carrying fixed interest rate. At its current multiple of 0.9x FY14 BVPS, Magma trades at a

significant discount to its peers and factors in potential risks amply. We reiterate Buy with a revised price target of Rs 101 (based on 1.3x FY14 BVPS).

RISH TRADER

Oil Europe downgrade fears make Treasurys a hot buy

Oil Investors are snapping up Treasurys and ditching European debt after news reports that France's credit rating could be downgraded on Friday. Several news outlets, citing unnamed sources, said Standard & Poor's was about to cut the credit rating of France and other European countries. In another fretful sign, U.S. exports to Europe plunged nearly 6 percent in November. Traders dumped higher-risk investments such as stocks and debt issued by European nations, causing borrowing costs for Italy and others to rise. If Italy risks defaulting on its debts, the crisis throughout Europe would worsen dramatically. The price of the 10-year Treasury note leaped 66 cents per $100 invested, pushing its yield down to 1.86 percent at 11 a.m. Eastern time. The yield peaked at 1.94 percent earlier Friday.

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Earn May 1st Winners, Losers, and Bottom Scan

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Today's Winners and Losers

Today's Bottom Scan

Signals DUTV - More Gains Ahead?

Signals

A great chart, this stock was left for dead and has risen from the ashes.  Just how much higher can this stock go.  Since we have no recent data the chart doesn't help much other than to show great gains for those in at the lows.

What we do have today is a nice rally on light volume.  Look at the initial burst higher, it was on heavy volume.  In my opinion this bodes well for further gains.   It is taking less buying pressure to move the stock.  Let's see what happens from here.  Recent news is below:


Digital Utilities Ventures Partners With iCB Live to Establish 'Vizzage' as the First Open Source Network
Will Use Smart TV as the Delivery Vehicle Connecting Your Content to the World
NEW YORK, Apr 19, 2012 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- Digital Utilities Ventures, Inc (Stock Symbol:DUTV), an innovator in Internet Protocol video transport systems, announced this week its planned launch of the First Open Source Media Network that will empower media viewers to create and broadcast their own programming for the Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) market. Today the company is pleased to announce it will release details in the upcoming weeks of new broadcast network called Vizzage which will allow users to develop their own content and upload it to our IPTV platform. This will unleash the full power of individuals as the ultimate content creators, broadcasters and Smart TV producers. Now everyone will be able to produce programming with an unlimited range of subjects covering live broadcasts of concerts, Independent Films, Web series, Multiline news shows, showing all broadcasting for all walks of life.
iCB Live offers a broad range of sophisticated analytic tools, which record viewer habits and statistics for every channel. This feature makes monetizing content and brand building easy. For advertisers this means targeted commercials dedicated to people's interests in real time based on what they watch, buy, and read about.
'This platform will allow for live streams of video games, championships and Xgames style sports. Not to mention live theater, comedy, learning shows, music, painting, cooking and more. The sky is the limit here, ending the TV industry's virtual monopoly of content and energizing an untapped treasure trove of global talent,' said Garry McHenry, CEO of DUTV. 'Think of our new broadcast channel as the 'World Studio' for the Internet. Anyone will now be able to upload and showcase their talents on the Vizzage Network and be seen globally on TV!
We have partnered with InCommand Broadcasting, LLC (iCB Live), which will enable us to establish our brand worldwide. This partnership will change the way broadcasting has been done traditionally for the last 80 years.
'We expect to showcase our brand logo and business plan and projections in the coming weeks via our corporate website and other investor and consumer mediums,' concluded McHenry.
About Digital Utilities Ventures, Inc -- Digital Utilities Ventures is an intellectual property company and advanced technology incubator incorporated in the State of Delaware in June 2006. The Company was formed to utilize its innovative, Internet to TV and Cell Phone Communications System for the domestic and international Quad-Play/Convergence services market. The Company went public on March 26, 2009. Website: www.DUTV.US
ABOUT inCommand Broadcasting (iCB Live)
InCommand Broadcasting, LLC, also known as iCB Live, is a Dallas, Texas-based Corporation providing an Internet Television network and/or Internet TV channels for anyone desiring to broadcast or distribute audio/video content over the internet. inCommand Broadcasting also specializes in customizing software solutions for those entities with a desire to offer a unique experience or applications for broadcasting and streaming.
inCommand Broadcasting provides a hosted 'cloud based' platform that allows customers to easily broadcast (stream) audio/video programs Live over the Internet. Customers can also store content onto their channel(s) for On-Demand viewing. inCommand's platform provides a user friendly, fully customizable branded website (or page) for each of its customers to host their own Internet channel, store and manage their content libraries, and capture revenue from viewer subscriptions, or individual program viewings via pay-per-view or pre-paid ticketing technology. All broadcasting origination and viewer reception is accessible worldwide anywhere an Internet connection is available, and fully-functions on any computer device or smart phone.

Forex >MAGMA FINCORP: Q4FY12 Result update

Forex

In line with estimates

Magma's Q4FY12 numbers, in-line with our estimates, reflect continued pressure on profitability though disbursement growth remains healthy and asset quality has held up well. It should be noted that the recent change in accounting policies renders YoY comparison inconclusive and misleading. We retain Buy rating on attractive valuations and price target of Rs101.

■ Disbursements growth momentum slows but healthy: Disbursements in Q4FY12 grew by a healthy 28% YoY (though slower than 50% in Q3) with the Cars & Utility segment (48% YoY) and high yield assets (up 71% YoY) driving this growth. The mix of the high-yielding assets was stable QoQ at 25% in Q4FY12. The strong growth in Cars & Utility segment, despite moderation in overall auto sales volumes in recent months, stems from Magma's 1) rural and semi-rural focus where demand remains healthy and 2) new branch additions.

■ Spread stable QoQ: Reported spreads for Q4FY12 at 4.3% are stable QoQ, despite 30bps contraction in asset IRRs, as cost of funds came down in sync. The contraction in asset IRRs can be traced to 1) higher strategic CE disbursals and 2) shift in loan mix. From a funding source perspective, the management is making a conscious effort to reduce reliance on the banking system, which remains the chief source of funds. For FY13, the spreads should improve as banks have begun cutting base rates and liquidity should be relatively better than FY2012.

■ Collection efficiency at ~101%: Collection efficiency remains strong at 101% for Q4FY12 giving us significant comfort considering the challenging in operating environment. Strong collection efficiency and healthy credit quality of the book helped contain the write offs (at 0.2% for FY12). Given the slowdown in economy and higher share of high yielding assets, we expect the write-off ratio to move up from the current level. In line, this should keep the credit costs stiff at ~85bps during FY13.

■ High earnings growth ahead: Based on management's views, if we exclude the impact of change in accounting policies during FY12 the proforma PAT stands at Rs1550mn (vs Rs780mn reported), which implies a growth of 27% YoY. For FY13, we expect Magma to report an impressive growth at bottomline level led by the fact that YoY comparison will now be possible. 

■ Cheap valuations, Reiterate Buy: We continue to like the stock due to cheap valuations, large potential for growth, and a seasoned senior management team that has seen multiple cycles and has a clear focus on containing risks. Moreover, Magma would be a key beneficiary of reversal in interest rates due to its reliance on whole-sale funding and large part of loan carrying fixed interest rate. At its current multiple of 0.9x FY14 BVPS, Magma trades at a

significant discount to its peers and factors in potential risks amply. We reiterate Buy with a revised price target of Rs 101 (based on 1.3x FY14 BVPS).

RISH TRADER

Oil Airbus expects years of grappling with A380 cracks

Oil Airbus expects years of grappling with A380 cracks Companies: European Aeronautic Defence and Space NV RELATED QUOTES Symbol Price Change EAD.PA 31.10 +0.28 Related Content An A380 aircraft is seen through a window with an Airbus logo during the EADS / Airbus 'New Year Press Conference' in Hamburg January 17, 2012. REUTERS/Morris Mac MatzenView Photo An A380 aircraft is seen through a window with an Airbus logo during the EADS / Airbus 'New Year Press Conference' in Hamburg January 17, 2012. REUTERS/Morris Mac Matzen FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Airbus will need years to get past problems with wing cracks on its flagship A380 passenger jet, the executive vice president of programs at Airbus told a German magazine. 'This problem will keep us busy for years,' weekly Der Spiegel quoted Tom Williams as saying in an article published on Sunday. European air safety regulators last month ordered checks for A380 wing cracks for the entire superjumbo fleet after safety engineers found cracks in almost all planes inspected. Airbus, the plane maker owned by EADS (PAR:EAD.PA - News), has said a combination of design and manufacturing slips put too much stress on a handful of the 2,000 brackets that fix the exterior of each wing to the ribcage beneath. The magazine said Williams aimed to present a solution for the problem in April, and Airbus will start installing new parts in planes by the end of the year.

Forex For Europe, Few Options in a Vicious Cycle of Debt

Forex For Europe, Few Options in a Vicious Cycle of Debt Europe has a $1 trillion problem. As difficult as the last two years have been for Europe, 2012 could be even tougher. Each week, countries will need to sell billions of dollars of bonds - a staggering $1 trillion in total - to replace existing debt and cover their current budget deficits. At any point, should banks, pensions and other big investors balk, anxiety could course through the markets, making government officials feel like they are stuck in a scary financial remake of 'Groundhog Day.' Even if governments attract investors at reasonable interest rates one month, they will have to repeat the process again the next month - and signs of skittish buyers could make each sale harder to manage than the previous one. 'The headline risk is enormous,' said Nick Firoozye, chief European rates strategist at Nomura International in London. Given this vicious cycle, policy makers and investors are closely watching the debt auctions for potential weakness. On Thursday, Spain is set to sell as much as 5 billion euros ($6.3 billion) of government bonds. Italy follows on Friday with an auction of more than $9 billion. The current challenge for Europe is to keep Italy and Spain from ending up like Greece and Portugal, whose borrowing costs rose so high last year that it signaled real likelihood of default, making it impossible for the governments to find buyers for their debt. Since then, Greece and Portugal have been reliant on the financial backing of the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. The intense focus on the sovereign debt auctions - and their importance to the broader economy - starkly underscores the difference between European and American responses to their crises. Since 2008, there has been almost no private sector interest to buy new United States residential mortgage loans, the financial asset at the root of the country's crisis. To make up for that lack of investor demand, the federal government has bought and guaranteed hundreds of billions of dollars of new mortgages. In Europe, policy makers are still expecting private sector buyers to acquire the majority of government debt. Last month, in perhaps the boldest move of the crisis, the European Central Bank lent $620 billion to banks for up to three years at a rate of 1 percent. Some officials had hoped that these cheap loans would spur demand for government debt. The idea is that financial institutions would be able to make a tidy profit by borrowing from the central bank at 1 percent and using the money to buy government bonds that have a higher yield, like Spain's 10-year bond at 5.5 percent. But the sovereign debt markets continue to show signs of stress. Italy's 10-year government bond has fallen in price, lifting its yield to more than 7 percent, a level that shows investors remain worried about the financial strength of Italy's government. And European banks appear to be hoarding much of the money they borrowed from the central bank, rather than lending it to governments. Money deposited by banks at the European Central Bank, where it remains idle, stands at $617 billion, up from $425 billion just a month ago. 'It's hard to see why a banker would want to tie up money in a European sovereign for, say, three years,' said Phillip L. Swagel at the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy, who served as assistant secretary for economic policy under Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. Italy's troubles highlight how hard it is to generate demand for a deluge of new debt from a dwindling pool of investors. The country needs to issue as much as $305 billion of debt this year, the highest in the euro zone. By comparison, France, with the second highest total, needs to auction $243 billion of new debt, according to estimates by Nomura. Governments like Italy's are at the mercy of markets because they simply don't have the cash to pay off even some of their bonds that come due. They must issue new bonds to cover their old debts, as well as their budget deficits, at a time when investors are growing scarce. Banks, traditionally big holders of government bonds, have been selling Italian debt. 'We've seen a lot of liquidation by non-European investors,' said Laurent Fransolet, head of European interest rate strategy at Barclays Capital in London. For instance, Nomura Holdings in Japan slashed its Italian debt holdings, mostly government bonds, to $467 million on Nov. 24, from $2.8 billion at the end of Sept. European banks have also been dumping the debt. BNP Paribas, a French bank, cut its exposure to Italian government bonds to $15.5 billion at the end of October, from $26 billion at the end of June. Italian banks, though large owners of their government's obligations, may not want to take on too much more, to keep their investors happy. Shares in UniCredit have fallen more than 40 percent since last week as the Italian firm has tried to raise capital to comply with new regulations. There are ways to avoid spectacularly bad debt auctions, at least in the short term. The central bank can help by buying a country's bonds in the market ahead of a new debt sale. That would help bolster prices at the auction, or at least keep them stable. There is also some evidence that banks' government-bond selling may have abated at the end of last year, according to Mr. Fransolet. Central bank figures show European financial firms acquired $2.4 billion of Spanish government bonds in November, after selling a monthly average of $4.8 billion in the preceding three months. Governments may also be able to attract new buyers to their bond markets. Belgium sold $7.2 billion of government bonds to local retail investors last month, in part appealing to their patriotism. Opportunistic hedge funds, betting the market is too pessimistic about certain European countries, may also bite. Saba Capital Management, a New York-based hedge fund headed by the former Deutsche Bank trader Boaz Weinstein, owns Italian government bonds, though it does so as part of a wider trading strategy that includes bets that could pay off if Europe's problems worsen. But it is doubtful that Italy and Spain can find enough new buyers this year to bring their bond yields down to sustainable levels. Instead, if their economies slow - and if their governments become unpopular - debt auctions could fail and their cost of borrowing could rise even more. All eyes would then turn to the central bank for drastic action. It could lend more cheap money to banks, in the hope that some of it might find its way into government bonds. Or it could become a big buyer of government bonds itself, printing euros to finance the purchases. But that may not be a lasting solution, since the central bank's actions could scare off private investors. Typically, when government-backed organizations like the central bank hold a country's debt, their claims on the debtor rank higher than those of other creditors. For that reason, private investors might think their holdings would fall in value if the central bank became a big owner of Italian debt - and they might retreat. At the same time, the crisis response in the United States did not depend solely on government-backed entities like the Federal Reserve to buy housing loans. Professor Swagel of the University of Maryland points out that banks and investors also took large losses on existing housing debt. While painful, the mortgage debt proved less of a drag on the financial system. So far, Europe has been averse to taking permanent losses on government bonds. Except in the case of Greek debt, European policy makers have shied away from any plan that could mean private holders of government debt get hurt. However, Nouriel Roubini, a professor of economics at the Stern School of Business at New York University, recently argued in a Financial Times editorial that Italy's debt should be reduced to 90 percent of the gross domestic product from 120 percent. In such a situation, investors might suffer a 25 percent hit on the value of their Italian bonds, he said. Such haircuts might seem like the recipe for more instability right now. But if Europe struggles to find buyers for its debt, more radical options are likely to be considered. Europe's debt problem is huge, and the experience in the United States suggests dealing with it may take several, more drastic approaches. 'If you go halfway, you'll never get to the end,' Professor Swagel said. 'And that describes European policy-making.'