Archive for December 2010

Silver ending 2010 at 30-year high… Rick Rule, James Turk on what to expect in 2011. The two factors that will propel gold to records (again) next year. Oil stays above $90 as Brazilian oil giant plans “underwater cities” to pull up crude from the seabed. Readers perform spell-check, squawk about the presentation format and tell us they’re sold on the Reserve based on just one sentence we wrote. Read More

Today, we unpack the X factor: What could torpedo the stock market in 2011? China cuts rare earth export quotas far more than first reported… with the prospect of more to come. U.S. dominance of the Pacific all but over as Middle Kingdom deploys “carrier-killer” missile… How congressional paranoia over China could start the next trade war… and a cautionary tale from 1929-30… Bailouts of foreign banks… perspective about yesterday’s retail numbers… and the mysterious slashing of book shipments… all in today’s mailbag. Read More

Retailers celebrate holiday blowout… Why consumers will play Scrooge come 2011, and how to profit. Next stage of the rare earth squeeze… How latest announcement from Beijing has manufacturers scrambling, shareholders profiting. One less bearish factor for gold… as the metal tops $1,400 again. World’s toughest co-op board… Offer in “the high teens” may not be good enough for Brooke Astor duplex. “If You Don’t Want to Lose Your Freaking Money People!” and other pithy suggestions for the name of our newest project. Read More

Left behind: While U.S. sputters, world economy doubles 2000-2010. Back to the future: Stunning chart shows China, India reassuming roles they held a millennium ago. Treasury’s ugly truth: 2010 deficit only 61% higher than you were told on CNN. An end to the flu? Patrick Cox on one of the “wealth quakes” set to arrive in 2011. Parental discretion advised: WikiLeaks stirs CIA, Bank of America into profanity and vulgarity. Because we don’t always know what gets our readers’ dander up… An onslaught of mail about silent killer Priuses! Read More

Third-quarter GDP still a surprise… what the numbers mean for your favorite S&P stocks. “Margin squeeze” and other 2011 trends worth paying attention to… plus two great shorts from our stock market vigilante. Euro near two-month low against the dollar… but euro woes reveal unique opportunity. Latest terror to U.S. citizens: ‘the Prius is too quiet’… but at least federal regulators are there to save you… Bloomberg ballyhoos gold bubble, tax evasion via Gold Eagles and your take on the “10 Outrageous Predictions” for 2011… all among our mailbag goodies. Read More

Gold demand, then and now: A powerful factor propelling gold for another decade. Two figures that prove conclusively gold is NOT in a bubble. Obama signs game-changer for gold and silver coins. S&P record high in 2011 among “10 outrageous predictions.” Reader inquires the best way to play the VIX… Dan Amoss with answers. Read More

Last desperate acts of a lame-duck Congress: Is offshore drilling in even more danger? Fear on sale: VIX sits at eight-month lows, while two curious indicators spell doom. Entrepreneur offers tiny and tidy houses to victims of the Great Correction… How busybody bureaucrats, naturally, stand in the way. Replies to the guy who labels us “airheaded”… One says, “store up rice and beans,” another sees inevitable recovery after “plagues, pogroms and disasters.” Read More

An investment model for an alternative universe… and the real-world consequences for you. A universe where “inflation protection” means real estate and gold does not exist. Uranium zooms up 50% in a matter of months… One guess why, and it starts with the letter “C.” 18 months in the making… Gold ATM makes its American debut today. “Airhead?” A 5 first: Reader says we’re just too darned optimistic. Read More

Oil persists near $90 a barrel… Why it’s more than just a “falling dollar” story. Bernanke Backfire reaches new heights… triggering a sell signal for bonds. Playing catch-up: Dept. of Energy issues a warning readers of The 5 have heard since early 2008. New rosy numbers for the housing market… The 5 checks the footnotes for the real story. More trouble for commercial real estate: Cube rats given less space to fill out their TPS reports. Read More

“No inflation here” says Uncle Sam… Why your real-world experience says otherwise. Inside the statistical sausage machine that spits out sham-tastic inflation figures. Euro alert: two surprise guests about to join the PIIGS. Motivated, results-oriented team player with extensive experience seeks to make resume readers scream in horror. Frontline reports from the “war against the zombies”… a cautionary tale about writing your congressman. Read More