Archive for January 2011

Poor return on investment: How $2 billion a year is literally going up in flames. Byron King with a chart that helps answer a burning question about Egypt: Why now? China seeks more gold, cuts another U.S. energy deal. Rotten economy forces a merger of “till death do us part” with “rest in peace.” “Our very lifestyle makes us less competitive”… Readers sound off on U.S. labor costs… Read More

Inflation “not a cause of concern” at Davos… While food riots rage in world’s largest Arab country. Q4 GDP prints at 3.2%…The 5 digs in for devilish details. Gold bounces off 4-month low… Fascinating chart points to ongoing demand. Readers resurrect ghost of Smoot-Hawley, insist on a “balanced” track record… Read More

The 5 throws itself upon the mercy of readers… How a government agency showed us up. Arab leaders try to stave off revolt, drive wheat prices to highest since summer 2008. S&P downgrades Japan… prompting Chuck Butler to start thinking “Conspiracy!” Prime foreclosure property… if you’re a herpetologist. Wide consensus of readers urges us to “ignore the nutball” who told us to “keep politics out of it.” Read More

Keep politics out of it, a reader urges… We try to oblige as we analyze the State of the Union. President seeks to “encourage American innovation”… Soaring rhetoric smacks into wall of reality. Dow 12,000 as traders await new Fed proclamation. First, an export squeeze… Now Chinese plan a rare earth stockpile. Crippled by credit bubble, done in by shifting sands… Dubai archipelago literally going under. Read More

The 5 unveils its proprietary Lenny Skutnik Indicator… so you’ll know what policies to expect from the State of the Union address. Weather-adjusted GDP… British innovation headed to America? Gold and silver slide some more… two indicators silver buyers are seizing an opportunity. The end of rare earths? Byron King on Toyota’s attempts to break free of China’s stranglehold. Dig this… An overlooked victim of the downturn. Read More

China, Russia accumulate more gold, silver. Dan Amoss on why gold stocks look cheap. After an S&P pullback, why “it’s still too early to call a top.” African power struggle powers cocoa prices to new high. Illinois raises income taxes, native businessman bails after three decades… Read More

New threat to municipal bond investors: “The GM Option.” Chinese commerce minister fingers West for rare earth squeeze… and why he has a point. Chinese “tightening” to stifle commodity bull run? Alan Knuckman says don’t count on it. Gold dips below $1,350, but James Turk keeps the faith. Now you too can be stinkin’ rich… in eau de fiat currency… Read More

While Hu meets Obama in Washington, his deputies back home consolidate resource control. Byron King on China’s “nationalization” move… and how it’s still not too late to invest in rare earths. Gold whacked, stocks spanked… Steve Sarnoff on the bears hitting back. An exercise in minimalist pointlessness… The “Dow Piano.” Readers follow up on hard-to-get European cars… inquire about when to sell tiny takeover targets… and insist on carrying on our Starbucks conversation. Read More

“This bear market is killing me”… The 5 answers an urgent query about rare earths. “Too far, too fast, too much”… Byron King on the rise and fall of a rare earth darling. Why investors have to think smarter about rare earths in 2011… and a dark-horse play that could beat everyone else into production. Silver Eagle sales set a monthly record… and it’s only the 19th! Et tu, Microsoft? Software giant diversifies out of the world’s reserve currency. Read More

“Like a wrecking ball”… Chris Mayer on what inflation will do in 2011, and how to prepare. “Widespread complacency”… Dan Amoss’ on the biggest Black Swan looming this year. The sham behind the latest Goldman-Facebook announcement… And an Internet IPO that could make a lot more sense, LOL. Readers wonder about gold’s future when the reserve currency vaporizes… come face-to-face with reality on the dealer lot… and tell us how to stick it to Starbucks.. Read More