Interesting Investment

Ultra ETF....what is it????

2007-11-29T22:24:00.000-08:00

One of a class of exchange-traded funds that employs leverage in an effort to achieve double the return of a set benchmark. The first ultra ETFs were launched in 2006 and the class has grown to include different ETFs with underlying benchmarks ranging from broad market indexes (such as the S&P 500 and Russell 2000) to specific sectors, such as technology, healthcare and basic materials.

According to the prospectuses for these funds, they may not achieve double the return of the benchmark during flat markets. Long-run returns may also diverge from the desired return; the ETFs only aim to achieve twice the daily return, which they have done fairly accurately in the short time they can be analyzed. Ultra ETFs can be beneficial to investors who are short on capital or allocation space within a diversified portfolio. For example, they can invest 5% of their portfolios into an ultra ETF and gain closer to 10% exposure due to the leveraged returns. Increased daily volatility is both the biggest benefit and greatest danger of ultra ETFs. They are best suited to short-term investing strategies or quick trading to maximize a given bet in the market. The expense ratios also run much higher than for standard ETFs, as most charge 0.95% of assets

visit www.investopedia.com for more terms like this.

I like this webpage ......

2007-11-25T16:50:00.000-08:00

hii everyone i think more than our normal finance related websites.... i believe AOL is also a good for knowing many things. I would recommend all of you to visit this webpage..................................

www.money.aol.com

It is an easy to use tool for an amateur.....!!!
You can surf through the site easily ......from selecting the option from your left...... look for it for those who still did not use that website......

DOUBLING STOCKS.....very interesting...GUYS JUZZ READ THIS................!!!!!

2007-11-25T15:05:00.000-08:00

What I am about to share with you, is a very unusual story.

Unusual... because it is about 2 "geeks", named Michael and Carl. Who developed the first commercially available stock picking "robot". Michael (the programmer) named the robot "Marl".

Above: Carl and Michael Programming "Marl"

Marl came about after Michael developed the famous "Global Alpha" computer stock trading model, while contracted to Goldman Sachs.

A piece of software which most years is responsible for...

$4,000,000,000+ Annual Trading Profit

With this software project completed, Michael looked for a new way to line his pockets. Unfortunately he had signed a Non Compete and NDA agreement with Goldman Sachs, forbidding him to create software which trades derivatives and similar financial instruments (like Global Alpha).

After 3 weeks of being temporarily unemployed, Michael who was very wealthy and very bored... Decided to start a new project.

You' see Goldman Sachs and most other large investment funds are at a major disadvantage. They often manage portfolios of up to $10,000,000,000 (ten billion dollars) - and because of this when they invest in stocks their scope is limited to just a few of the worlds largest firms (Coca-Cola, Google).

This problem is widespread amongst fund managers whom manage large amounts of capital. In fact Warren Buffet (Whom manages $53 billion) has the exact same problem.

Michael knew he could take advantage of this. By developing software which can run on any home computer, and manage funds between $100 and $500,000.

With managing such a small comparative amount, Michael's software could yield much higher returns. In fact it is designed to trade in the volatile penny stock market where stocks can increase 400% in a matter of minutes.

Watch as Owners of Marl Make $5192...
...Live on Video .......
(PLAY THE VIDEO BELOW)

Below is a video. Showing Marl in action.

You'll see the stock Marl chose, and watch to the end where Michael shows you what happened the next day...

Michael worked with fund manager Carl Williamson to create the bot. "Marl" works by analysing each stock using "technical analysis". Which means analysing a stocks past price movements to predict the stocks future direction.

Below is an example stock chart. For all it looks like something NASA would be proud of... it is merely showing the stocks changes in price against time.

The various changes in price (when made into a chart) form what traders call "chart patterns" and it is exactly these price patterns Marl is looking for.

When first activated, Marl will use its own database to perform a scan of stocks trading on the OTC and Pink sheet exchanges. During this time Marl is looking for companies whom are forming bullish trading patterns.(stocks about to increase)

Carl helped Michael program the bot to identify (in split second timing) distinct trading patterns from a vast range of 6578, held in Marl's internal database.

If Marl identifies a clean, uncongested chart pattern, that is proven to yield a good risk/reward - Then the stock will be added to Marl's "Watch List". All of these "watched stocks" will be forming bullish patterns (indicating the stock is about to rise).

This watch list has two distinct advantages. The first and most obvious is that Marl can easily monitor hundreds of stocks at the same time. The second is that Marl is programmed on an "evolutionary framework". What this means, is that as Marl is watching hundreds of stock patterns it actually learns the most likely direction of stock prices under thousands of situations.

Because of this. The longer Marl is allowed to run on a computer...

The More Advanced He Becomes!

What's more by scrutinising the miniscule movements in price of hundreds of stocks... Marl becomes familiar... even intimate... With each individual stock.

Developing what professional traders call a "sixth sense". A sort of "feel" for how the stock will behave in any given situation.

While monitoring hundreds of stocks in the watch list... Marl may notice that a stock has been hitting resistance at $0.50 all week (not being able to rise above 50 cents a share). And if the stock breaks that level (meaning there is a good chance it will "breakout" and run much higher) the bot will start analyzing the stock in more detail... looking at its longer term weekly trading pattern and applying its vast range of criteria.

Any stocks that reach this stage have been under close scrutiny and passed a variety of complex tests. Marl will then analyze the charts looking for the best entry point (to buy the stock at) with the lowest risk to potential reward.

The average professional stock trader can analyze one stock chart around every 8-10 seconds... when looking for an opportunity. On the other hand Marl can analyze 7 charts every second.

Why Does That Matter?

It means that Marl can be extremely selective, waiting until all the correct criteria line up until a trade recommendation is made.

Often Marl will disregard profitable trades... In favour of a potentially more profitable trade occurring at the same time.

After creating Marl to version 1.0... The two input a trading capital of $1000 and set it running. Marl spent 13 hours analysing over 6,000 small capitalisation firms. After those 13 hours Marl made his first ever stock recommendation...

LPTC.OB Trading at $0.74 Per Share

Carl placed the trade in his online brokerage account with $1000 invested, as the market closed for the night. The following morning (a Tuesday) the stock climbed to $1.05 within the first 3 hours (a 42% increase).

Something ‘magical’ had just happened. In Carl Williamson’s dark, damp basement the first ever profitable stock robot was created.

Computer Science Universities around the country had attempted this feat for years with no avail. They lacked one crucial thing, these students only had a basic grasp of stock trading - Let alone the complex thinking and analysis involved.

Carl Williamson was vital to Marl's success and so on that day. The 16th of January 2007. Michael and Carl signed a legally binding contract. Both swore themselves to "secrecy". No one would know about Marl. Not Carl's trading partners... Not Michael's old Global Alpha colleagues... Not anyone.

Within the next few days Carl and Michael rented a commercial lock-up where their new business was to be stationed. They drove to the nearest PC World and bought 12 brand new laptops.

Back at the lock-up Michael set-up a wireless network and configured each laptop. They spent the first night setting up each laptop v1.1 of Marl the trading robot. Yes you guessed it...

Carl & Michael Were Setting Up A Lockup To House Marl...
Marl Was To Analyse the Markets... 24 Hours a Day!

By setting up Marl on a network, with 12 versions of "himself" running at the same time - His internal database of chart trading patterns was able to grow at a much faster rate.

Each bot was linked to one central database, held on a separate server, and hosted online.

Carl & Michael Were Set For Riches!

The second day after 12 sets of Marl analysed over 17,000 small cap firms... Marl made

It's Second Stock Recommendation...

Marl recommended another stock named NSMG.OB. Carl once again placed the trade online, this time investing $1380 using the profits made on the last trade.

Within 3 days time the stock had rocketed from $1.12 per share to $3.42. In total a 205% increase in just a matter of days.

In fact by this point the two were so excited they slept on the floor in the lockup. Watching as Marl analysed hundreds of thousands more stocks.

Michael (the programmer) has insisted I include some technical details pertaining to his ‘masterpiece’ in this article, here they are:

Marl can process 1,986,832 mathematical calculations per second.
As explained the more Marl is used the better his skills will become; every situation it analyses is fed back to an online "master database" which also gauges the performance of its actual stock picks. The result is a bot which is constantly perfecting its trading formula.
Marl doesn't just compare each trade to past situations. It also looks at volume traded, Support and resistance levels, Trend reversals patterns, Consolidation patterns and Channels a stock trades in. - Marl takes all of this into account before even watching a certain stock.

Carl went on to explain that Marl is a simple bot. And unlike the computer science universities currently trying to create programs like Marl. Michael and Carl were adamant their stock robot would be extremely simple. It is simple in design and simple in programming. For the end user this means there are virtually no errors or bugs, which could prove financially fatal.

Below is a Screenshot of Carl's online Brokerage account after using Marl for 9 days:

Now as explained above, Marl is the first "Commercially available" stock trading robot. And since its introduction in early 2007, Marl has been responsible for creating 86 millionaires and 13 multi-millionaires.

And because of this a license to use Marl is no "cheap date".

In fact it costs...

$28,000 Per License!

And each person who purchases a license is invited to Michael's home for a week of personal training.

Now Michael did go on to tell me something very interesting. Stay with me on this because I'm about to tell you how anybody can benefit from Marl... Without shelling out $28,000.

You' see Michael and Carl know that not many people have $28,000 to "risk" on buying a Stock Trading Robot. And so they thought for days about how they could prove Marl is everything I have explained, without giving him away on some sort of "trial basis".

So they created a weekly newsletter, named "Doubling Stocks". Each week every reader of that newsletter would receive one Penny Stock pick chosen by Marl.

And so far since the newsletter was started 4 months ago... Each pick has made an...

Average 105.28% Increase,
Usually Within 3 Hours of the Market Opening!

Just take a look at the impressive results "Doubling Stocks" subscribers have experienced since early this year:

Stock	Recommended Buy Price	Recommended Sell Price	Percentage Change
CorVu Corp. (CRVU.OB)	$0.38 (November 2006)	$0.26(February 2007)	-31%
1-900 Jackpot, Inc. (ONJP.OB)	$8.10 (November 2006)	$39.42 (March 2007)	+386%
Metwood Inc. (MTWD.OB)	$0.42 (November 2006)	$0.85 (December 2006)	+102%
Calpine Corp. (CPNLQ.PK)	$0.89 (December 2006)	$1.42 (December 2006)	+59%
Crown Crafts Inc. (CRWS)	$3.61 (December 2006)	$6.08 (February 2007)	+68%
CIC HOLDING COMPANY (CICG.PK)	$2.93(December 2006)	$1.36(December 2006)	-53%
Recyclenet Corp. (GARM.OB)	$0.02 (December 2006)	$0.05 (March 2007)	+150%
360 Global Wine Company (TSIX.OB)	$3.64 (January 2007)	$3.34 (February 2007)	-8%
Nova Biosource Fuels, Inc. (NVBF.OB)	$2.35 (January 2007)	$3.00 (February 2007)	+27%
Tasker Products Corp. (TKER.OB)	$0.12 (January 2007)	$0.19(April 2007)	+58%
InfoLogix, Inc. (IFLG.OB)	$5.20 (January 2007)	$4.15 (February 2007)	-20%
Le@p Technology Inc. (LPTC.OB)	$0.31 (January 2007)	$1.09 (January 2007)	+251%
President Casinos Inc. (PREZQ.OB)	$0.25 ( February 2007)	$0.40 (March 2007)	+60%
FirstFlight, Inc. (FFLT.OB)	$0.41 (March 2007)	$0.49 (March 2007)	+19%
Hydron Technologies Inc. (HTEC.OB)	$0.10 (February 2007)	$0.17 (April 2007)	+70%
CLEAN POWER TECHNOLG (CPWE.OB)	$0.71(February 2007)	$1.88(February 2007)	+164%
Optionable Inc. (OPBL.OB)	$8.89 (February 2007)	$5.02 (March 2007)	-43%
Regal One Corp. (RONE.OB)	$0.07 (March 2007)	$0.19 (March 2007)	+171%
Transbotics Corp. (TNSB.OB)	$0.47(March 2007)	$0.68(April 2007)	+44%
PAETEC Holding Corp. (PAET)	$9.80 (March 2007)	$19.25 (March 2007)	+96%
BioStem Inc. (BTEM.OB)	$0.46 (March 2007)	$2.34 (March 2007)	+408%
LANTIS LASER INC (LLSR.PK)	$0.49 (April 2007)	$0.42(May 2007)	-14%
SUPERCLICK INC (SPCK.OB)	$0.11 (May 2007)	$0.24(June 2007)	+118%
DHANOA MINERALS LTD (DHNA.OB)	$1.00 (May 2007)	$1.55(May 2007)	+55%
SUSTAINABLE POWER CP (SSTP.PK)	$0.05 (June 2007)	$0.12 (June 2007)	+140%
PROVIDENCE RESOURCES (PVRS.OB)	$0.24(June 2007)	$0.18 (June 2007)	-25%
BIOQUEST TECHNOLOG (BQTG.PK)	$0.37 (June 2007)	$0.72 (June 2007)	+94%
HOLLOMAN ENERGY CORP (HENC.OB)	$1.52 (July 2007)	$1.95 (July 2007)	+28.28%
INTL OIL & GAS NEW (IOGH.PK)	$0.14 (July 2007)	$0.11 (July 2007)	-21%
Platina Energy Group, Inc. (PLTG.OB)	$0.13 (August 2007)	$0.22 (September 2007)	+69%
NATCO INTL INC (NCII.OB)	$1.63 (August 2007)	$2.24 (August 2007)	+37%
IDS WORLDWIDE INC (IDWD.PK)	$0.22 (September 2007)	$0.27 (September 2007)	+22%
Patriot Scientific Corp. (PTSC.OB)	$0.35 (September 2007)	$0.48 (October 2007)	+37%
CHINA YOUTV CORP (CYTV.OB)	$0.13 (September 2007)	$0.11 (September 2007)	-15%
Voyager Petroleum, Inc. (VYGO.OB)	$0.06 (October 2007)	$0.08 (October 2007)	+33%
NATURALLY IOWA INC (NLIA.PK)	$0.21 (October 2007)	$0.40 (October 2007)	+90%

Now here's where it gets most interesting.

Because when Michael and Carl were telling me about this new newsletter, I was expecting them to mention a price in the thousands of dollars...

$5000, $6000 or More

They went on to tell me they were offering a membership to this newsletter at just a token fee of $47.00! And better yet this token fee of $47.00 will allow you to trade Marl's picks for the lifetime of the newsletter.

Why?

Because Carl told me:

"This newsletter is the best kind of advertising available. Thousands of people read the email each week and witness returns consistently averaging 80%+"

"And we priced the newsletter at $47.00 simply to ensure those who join are serious about investing in each stock pick".

And because of this $47 newsletter, Marl has already been featured in Business Week and the Wall Street Journal.

Just take a look at these stock graphs. Just a few of the trades Marl has picked in the past 5 months:

Above: One of Michael's Personal Favourites!

Above: In total Michael's subscribers earned an estimated $192,392 from this pick.

Above: Michael told me this one was quite risky, but it certainly paid off.

In fact, Carl tells me 3.2% of members of this newsletter, end up buying Marl outright.

Why would they pay such a large amount to buy their own Marl when they can simply follow the newsletter?

Because Marl usually predicts at least 2 good stocks per day. And owners of the software can make 10 or more investments per week, unlike members of the newsletter.

There is one more caveat. Members of the newsletter are expected to report back to Michael and Carl details of their entry point, exit point and profit/loss (if they decide to trade that week).

This data is further used to aid development of Marl.

6 Case Studies of Newsletter Members:

"Altogether I've made $623.56"

Hi,

My name's Ethan, I must admit I was pretty skeptical when reading about DoublingStocks.

Although after reading about the guarantee. I took the plunge, and boy am I glad I did so.

I've now received 4 of the recommended stock trades from Michael. And the average increase has been 84.56%.

Altogether I've made $623.56 with an innitial investment of $150.

And the best part is I started this venture knowing absolutely nothing about trading stocks.

But If you want to email me about doubling stocks I'd be more than happy to talk.

Just send off an email to ethan.paymer@gmail.com

Bye for now

- Ethan Paymer
ethan.paymer@gmail.com

"Altogether I,ve made $1089"

- Martin
No email Address

"Made 164% With CPWE.OB"

Hey Michael,

This is John Zuick. Last week I paid for a subscription to Doubling Stocks. I've read your book The Penny Stock Bible -- And I must say it has cut the learning curve dramatically.

Now on the stock newsletter front, I've only received one pick so far. And that was CPWE.OB, this stock has risen 164% and netted me $1246.00 in clear profit.

Anyway, feel free to stick this video on your website. I'm looking forward to being quasi famous.

Bye for now

- John Zuick
wellsy@bigstring.com

"My goal by June 2007 is $13K a month"

Hey Michael,

Just emailing to say... I've just made $2533.56 minus commissions on your last trade cttd.

Within days of you recommending it, the price tripled. I got out early, as it went up another 89.24% -- But I couldn't be happier.

My goal by June 2007 is $13K a month (A 6 figure salery). With your stock picks continuing to flood my inbox... This is going to be EASY!!!

I don't usually kiss butt, but seriously? Thank you Michael. You really went all out on this course and me, my wife and our 8 month old son really appreciate your dedication to excellence.

Thanks!

- George Barmpalias
no email provided

"The next best thing besides Warren Buffet"

Thanks to Michael, my friends now believe I'm the next best thing besides Warren Buffet.

In the last 4 months I've made enough money to buy a BMW 3 Series. Actually I'll be honest I already had enough but the earnings from Michael's newsletter eased my girlfriend onto the idea.

I paid $52,250 for the car. And $38,689.00 of that was directly from penny stocks.

Here's the car:

Now what can I say Michael, other than look at the car I have, because of you. You'll be happy to know I call the car Michael, after you!

- David
no email provided

What you have just read so far, is an overview of what I believe, and obviously what others believe, is the most amazing, exciting and definitely one of the most profitable methods of making money online.

When writing this web article, I initially was simply writing an interesting article about "The First Stock Robot". Although after hearing about Michael and Carls newsletter I thought it was such a great deal I asked to offer the chance to join, straight from this web page.

Michael and Carl did however specify that there was a strict limit on the amount of people I am allowed to let join "Doubling Stocks". And said they had just 486 newsletter spaces left.

If you quickly scroll to the bottom of this page, you'll see a large black number. That number is a countdown of the amount of newsletter subscriber spaces left.

At the time of writing I do not know the current amount, although if it says 0 - Please contact me with your name and email address and I will add you to the waiting list.

But I must also make clear:

This Offer Is NOT For Everybody

In fact, Michael isn't even allowing most people to sign up.

Why?

Because some people cannot cope with any type of loss whatsoever. And, even though Marl gains an average of 105.28% per weekly trade. The bot gets it wrong sometimes. And when it does, people lose money.

Some people think they will never lose when they follow Marl's predictions. But the truth is, occasionally they will lose money. If you trade penny stocks on a... continuing basis, it is 100% certain you will experience losing trades every now and again.

So, if you're the kind of person who is not emotionally stable enough to handle a loss. Then you are not allowed to be a subscriber to Marl's newsletter.

On the other hand, if you have the required amount of courage pumping through your veins... and... you are the kind of person who likes to take scientifically analyzed and carefully calculated risks. Then the "Doubling Stocks" newsletter is exactly what you're looking for.

Another thing to remember is, when you trade penny stocks, it's impossible to lose a penny more than your initial investment.

OK, let's get down to "brass tacks". I already told you, "Doubling Stocks" costs a token amount of $47.00. This subscription will last for as long as the newsletter keeps going (years and years). And this is a one off subscription price, you will never again be rebilled.

Will Michael's newsletter help you? Will his stock picks continue to generate an average of 105.28% profit? Here's how you can find out without risking a single penny...

...Try Michael's Newsletter "Doubling Stocks",
Absolutely FREE For 8 Weeks!

If you decide to pay via check. Michael insists you postdate your check for 8 weeks in advance. Or if you decide to pay with credit card... At any point up to 8 weeks after joining you may email "support [at] doublingstocks.com" for a full refund (including processing fees).

As soon as Michael receives your order, He will immediately contact you by email and send your "welcome package". The very next Sunday you will receive your first stock trade.

After that, you've still got 7-1/2 more weeks... to place the trade and see for yourself if it is as profitable as I say it is.

If it isn't, you can simply stop payment on your check or, call Michael... and... He will be happy to send back your uncashed check or refund your full joining fee. This way...

You Will Have Lost... Nothing!

Have you ever heard of anything like that before? There are just too many times in life when people are NOT willing to hold themselves accountable for their own services.

How many people have a stock broker who will guarantee he will make you money... or... he will refund your investment? Is there an attorney who will guarantee he will win your case... or... he will refund your money? Michael is thoroughly willing to make such a statement... and... more than willing to back it up.

In Summary...

From what I have described above. You have a 8 week risk free trial where you may test Michael's newsletter. Within those 8 weeks, one email to "support [at] doublingstocks.com" and he will refund your joining fee (including credit card processing fees).

Furthermore after receiving your joining fee Michael will email you “The Penny Stock Bible”. This is a 68 page guide which will allow anyone (even someone whom has never traded before) to use Marl’s picks. And even if you decide to request a refund, Michael will let you keep the “Penny Stock Bible” (worth ($29.95).

That way, whatever the outcome of this...

...You Will Profit!

Above: Michaels Office in Seattle

If I'm wrong about all of this, you've lost only a couple of minutes of your time. But what if I'm right?

Oh and by the way Michael's company "Global Marketing Corporation Ltd" is located at 93 S. Jackson Street #56595, Seattle, WASHINGTON 98104-2818, UNITED STATES. That's right across from City Hall and exactly opposite the Public Library. If you have any questions, you can open a support ticket at his help desk (http://support.doublingstocks.com) or call him on (44)7835400828.

If you'd like to stop by at Michael's office, you can drive straight to Seattle. His office (pictured, left) is the building right on the corner. Michael invites all of his subscribers to pop by anytime they are in the area. Monday to Friday, normal working hours.

Try Doubling Stocks With the....

8 Week Free Trial:

Try Michael's Newsletter Without Risk...

14 Places Left to Trial Michael's Newsletter!

$47.00 One Off Subscription Amount
Including an 8 Week Free Trial...

There is a true limit on the number of newsletter subscribers Michael can accept. If all 14 places are gone at the time of your order -- We will kindly reverse the transaction and email you if a space becomes available.

This is 100% Risk Free...


11/25/2007


11/25/2007


11/25/2007

P.S: Just think, had you put $5000 on each of Marl's recommended trades over the last 4 months– You would now have $387,684 clear profit sitting in your bank account.

Top 6 Picks for OIL and Gas Stocks

2007-11-25T14:52:00.000-08:00

Energy and Natural Gas Stock Picks

Energy Prices have sored over the past few years and most recently oil prices have reached a new all time high. While this ralley in oil prices has occured natural gas prices were deflated and have be resting near their low points.

Rencently many large energy companies have announced their interests in purchasing natural gas producing properties. Examples of some of these companies include Suncor Energy, Talisman Energy, etc. The leaders of these companies must know something the average investor does not--natural gas is about to experience a boom. Here are my best stock picks to profit from the coming natural gas bull market.

1) Cyries Energy: Formed in July, 2004 as a result of the merger between CEQUEL Energy Inc. and Progress Energy. The company is a high-growth junior exploration company and operates in the greater Peach River Arch Area of Alberta and targets medium-depth, multi-zone prospects mainly. Management currently owns about 19% of the shares.

Rating: Strong Buy

For more information about this company click the link in the Resource Box to andrewjohns.ca

2) Duvernay Oil Corp: Trades a premium cash flow multiples compared to its direct competitors. This company is a high-growth intermediate company that focuses on drilling multi-zone wells targeting Triassic and Cretaceous sandstones in northeast BC and northwest Alberta. Management controls about 20% of the stock.

Rating: Strong Buy

For more information about this company visit click the link in the Resource Box to andrewjohns.ca

3) ProEx Energy: Just like Cyries Energy, ProEx formed in July 2004 from the merger of Progress Energy and CEQUEL Energy. ProEx Energy operates mainly in northeastern British Columbia and is focused on full-cycle exploration and development. Management controls roughly 30% of the stock.

Rating: Strong Buy

For more information about this company take a look on Google Finance under ticker: PXE.TO

4) Suncor Energy: Suncor is a large Canadian integrated Energy company operating in the Oil Sands of Alberta and Saskatchewan. The company is focused on Oil Sands, Natural Gas, Energy Marketing and Refining. This company has experienced a great upward price trend linked to its ability to grow.

Rating: Buy

For more information about this company click the link in the resource box to andrewjohns.ca

5) Talisman Energy: Talisman Energy is an independent Canadian based oil and gas company involved in exploration, development, production, transportation and marketing of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. This company operates throughout North America, the UK, Europe, South East Asia, and North Africa.

Rating: Buy

For more information about this company click the link in the resource box to andrewjohns.ca

6) TriStar Oil & Gas: Was formed in 2006 form the merger of StraPoint Energy Trust and Acclaim Energy Trust The company is focused on acquiring producing properties and drilling to exploit the undeveloped land. TriStar operates in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Rating: Buy

For more information about this company visit google finance and search TOG.TO

You should not buy any of these stocks without first consulting a financial professional to determine whether the risks associated with each would be beneficial or resonable for your own portfolio

Visit http://www.investcanada.blogspot.com for more investment strategies, stock picks, and information.

Visit http://www.andrewjohns.ca for free Analyst stock reports, and detailed stock information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stuart_Mcconnachie

8 TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO

2007-11-25T14:44:00.000-08:00

• Determine Your Asset Allocation - This involves matching your investment vehicles with your investment goals. Your investment choices should always be based on your age and level for risk tolerance. The earlier you begin to save and invest the more aggressive you can be in selecting amongst investment vehicles and options.

• Diversify your Portfolio - To maximize your returns, and manage your investment risk at the same time, you should not put all your eggs in one basket. Avoid placing more than 4%-6% of your investments in any one stock, including that of your own employer's. Real diversification means spreading your money across multiple asset categories including stocks, bonds, real estate as well as investing internationally.

• Invest in Index Funds or No Load Mutual Funds - An index fund is a passively managed fund that seeks to mirror the performance of a particular index (i.e. the Dow, S&P 500, Wilshire 5000, NASDAQ, Russell 2000). These funds are specifically designed to duplicate the performance of the unmanaged market index they are tracking. Management fees of index funds are typically no greater than about 0.50%. A mutual fund is a pool of funds of individual investors that is actively managed by a professional investment manager who buys and sells securities for the fund. Mutual funds have different investment objectives (i.e. growth, value, income) as well as various market capitalization sizes (i.e. small, medium and large cap). Each investor owns a share of the portfolio assets equal to his number of shares in the fund. A no load mutual fund has no sales charges, commission fees or redemption fees associated with the purchase and sale of its shares.

• Use Dollar Cost Averaging to Buy Stocks - This technique involves investing equal dollar amounts of money at regular intervals over a period of time. The result of this practice should be acquiring a greater number of shares when the price is lower and fewer shares when the price is higher thereby achieving an average cost per share which is lower than the average price per share. Dollar cost averaging helps minimize the risk of timing the market and thus having to determine the optimal time to acquire shares.

• Track Your Investment Expenses - You must vigilantly track all the investment expenses and commissions you are paying as they will dramatically impact the overall return on your investments. If you are paying heavy loads (expenses) and high commissions on funds which are performing below their general market counterparts you will want to divest yourself of these investments, using a tax savings strategy, as soon as possible. Stick with no-load funds and low commission investment vehicles.

• Rebalance Your Portfolio - Requires matching your portfolio's allocation of assets to meet your stated investment objectives after any area of your portfolio has experienced significant growth or contraction. This process goes hand in hand with asset allocation in that once you've determined your plan and the percentage you want in various categories of investments, you must rebalance or re-allocate your funds within your portfolio to insure that you are in compliance with your plan. Note that rebalancing your portfolio can be more complicated with your non-tax sheltered accounts as it could generate tax consequences.

• Don't Obsess About Tracking Your Portfolio - Keep your eye on the prize in the horizon and don't allow every downward market move to rattle you. It's far too easy to panic when you're watching daily, weekly or monthly results. You should be in it for the long haul and not influenced by trends and short term market fluctuations.

• Seek Out Investment and Tax Advice - Don't shy away from seeking the help of a professional when you need it. It's easy to understand the hesitation many people have in pursuing a so called expert's advice. The number of advisors who sell products behind the advice they give can make it confusing to know the true motivation behind a professional's recommendations. That's why it's essential to ask how any advisor is going to be compensated and what the amount of that compensation will be. Tax strategies should figure prominently into your investment planning as you want to balance both your pre-tax and after-tax retirement accounts.

look for more articles at www.ezinearticles.com

Investment Advice: 3 Steps To Start Investing With Just $100

2007-11-25T14:39:00.000-08:00

Investment advice is usually pitched toward those with chiliads, or at least $1,000 to commit, in add-on to the touchstone three-to-six-months pay socked away in a economies account.

Most of us cognise how important it is to supplement our retirement with additional investment in traditional taxable investment business relationships. Simply maxing out your IRA shares and putting away 6% of your paycheck into the employer's 401(k) just may not do it, but not everyone has the chiliads that most investment advice requires.Here is a program developed with the ultra-small investor in brain. It takes just $100, every month for a geezerhoods.

Should You Invest?

Number one, it is important to prioritize your financial concerns. If you have high-interest recognition card debt, do not commit until you are debt free. While it is possible to do more money investing than you are losing on fund complaints, it is highly unlikely. Your money is best spent lowering recognition card balances.

Also, if you have no hard cash economies, you should view putting this program off until you have economies equal to at least three months' pay.

Finally, if you would be scourged if you lost all of the money you put, you should probably remain away from directly investing. While not likely if you are conservative, it is possible to lose all or some of the money you commit, no matter what the security.

Start Investing With Just $100

1. Clear a brokerage firm account with a low-cost online agent. It's important that you're not paying more than $5 per trade, because that's money that will be coming out of your investment. Also, do sure that the agent you pick out has no lower limit account balance, or fees will eat up your entire balance. For more about price reduction stock factors you can see our agent comparing chart.
2. Monetary fund your account. This is where you direct your first $100 to the agent via bank check, wire transportation, or ACH transportation. I advocate ACH transportation, which is like an electronic bank check, because a bank check will take a few weeks to procedure and a wire transportation is too costly for investing such a small amount.
3. Brand your first investment.

What you commit in is, of class very important, and professional investment advice is too expensive if you're only investing $100. But surveys have exhibited that the best tax returns come uped from widely diverse portfolios.

Now, you can't easily have a widely diverse portfolio with $100, since that won't even acquire you one share of Google (GOOG) or Toyota (TM). But Exchange Traded Monetary funds (ETFs) do it easy to commit a small amount of money in a wide motley of securities, because they are shares in a larger pool of securities. The Vanguard Aggregate Stock Market VIPER (VTI) tracks over 6,000 U.S. stocks, and it's like investing your first $100 in the entire U.S. stock market. The iShares MSCI-EAFE (EFA) places in stocks from Europe, Australia and Asia. The iShares Lehman Conglomeration Bond (AGG) tracks the Lehman Brothers Conglomeration Bond Index, and it's like investing your $100 in the entire bond market.

If, after three months, you have poses $100 into each of these monetary funds, you will have a well-diversified portfolio that should defy most of the market's fluctuations. Losses in any particular sector of the stock market should be offset by additions in other countries of the market. Add to it each month, never investing less than $100 at a clip, and you should see the value of your account turn just as the stock market does.

There are many ETFs to pick out from and they are getting more diverse, including dust bond and goods monetary funds. Personally I would remain away from them until there's at least $1,000 in stock and traditional bond ETFs, since the bulk of your portfolio should include traditional investings, not alternative investings.

As you watch your investment turn (and then draw back, and then turn again) you should acquire more about asset allotment and portfolio diversification, which are the keys to investment success. The more diverse your investings, the more you will be able to defy volatile marketplaces when stocks dip.

Finally, when the aggregate value of your investment hits $10,000, you should view seeking professional investment advice and transferring your retentions to traditional mutual monetary funds, which are a bit easier to negociate, but typically have higher investment lower limits.

P/E Ratio......Wat is it?

2007-11-17T21:32:00.000-08:00

A Look at P/E Ratios
by Roger Wohlner

Price/earnings (P/E) ratios are a common measure of stock value, both
for individual stocks and the overall market. Calculating a P/E ratio is
straightforward - it is simply the price of a single share of stock
divided by the company's per share earnings.

For example, a stock selling
at $50 per share with $2 per share of earnings would have a P/E ratio
of 25. However, P/E ratios can be calculated using different earnings
numbers. Trailing P/E ratios, which are typically reported in
newspapers, use earnings per share for the most recent four quarters, while
forward P/E ratios use forecasts of future earnings per share.

To understand what a P/E ratio represents, consider what it means in
terms of how much you would pay for a business you want to purchase. The
value of that business would be largely determined by how much income
it generates and how long it would take to recover the purchase price
with that income. You might be willing to pay four or five times earnings
(for a P/E ratio of 4 or 5), realizing it would take that many years
to recover the purchase price. However, if you felt earnings had the
potential to increase significantly in future years, you might be willing
to pay a higher multiple of current-year earnings.

When considering public companies, it seems reasonable that
well-established businesses growing in a fairly predictable pattern would command
a higher P/E ratio than a small private business. Since you don't have
the risks or responsibilities that come with owning a business, you
would probably pay a premium. Typically, companies with higher growth
rates command higher P/E ratios.

The difficulty is deciding what a reasonable P/E ratio is for a
particular company or for the overall stock market. For individual companies,
investors' expectations about future earnings affect the P/E ratio.
Confidence that a company will improve its profitability or remain
profitable generally results in a higher P/E ratio. If profits are threatened
or weak, the P/E ratio is likely to drop. P/E ratios for the overall
market change based on broad market conditions and investors' views about
how desirable stocks are compared to other investments.

There is no absolute measure of what P/E ratio should be paid for a
given company with a given growth rate. P/E ratios can fluctuate
significantly over time and among companies and industries. It generally helps
to follow the P/E ratios of stocks that interest you, along with
companies in similar industries, to develop a feel for how the P/E ratios
fluctuate. Reviewing a company's P/E ratio for prior years can also be
helpful. If a company's growth rate in the past is expected to continue in
the future and market conditions are similar, you might not expect much
change in P/E ratios. But you also must evaluate whether changes to
the company, its industry, or the overall stock market would cause an
increase or decrease in the company's P/E ratio.

One way to evaluate P/E ratios is to consider a company's current P/E
ratio divided by its historical P/E ratio. If it is much lower than 1,
you might want to investigate why. It could mean the business is in
decline or having other problems. It may also imply that the stock is
reasonably priced now. If the value is much higher than 1, carefully assess
whether you want to invest at this time. You may want to wait until the
P/E ratio returns to a more historical level.

You can also divide a company's current P/E ratio by the market's
overall P/E ratio. If that figure is much higher than 1 (and thus higher
than the overall market), you should evaluate whether the company's
prospects justify that valuation.

This was an email sent to me by our Proffessor.

Will the Economy Grow Slowly?

2007-11-09T22:06:00.000-08:00

The Federal Reserve cut interest rate again, which is explained as the fear of inflation. As we all know, the financial turmoil of subprime mortgage hurt the economy, which would cause a series of results, such as less consumption of households and bad performance of large firms.

The Fed is trying to save the economy, however what we know is the oil price keeps increasing and once more than $100 a barrel, which will give negative impact on the growth of economy. The reason that high oil price will hurt the growth of economy is that oil is related to almost every part of the economy, such as transportation, manufacturing, and even food and drink.

In my opinion, the economy will slow down at least for a whole year.

Short GM

2007-11-09T21:42:00.000-08:00

GM reported $38.96 billion third-quarter net less, which is one of the largest quarterly losses for a public U.S. company, according to S & P. The majority of GM's loss stemmed from a $38.6 billion charge related to the write-down of tax credits and doesn't affect its cash position. There also is a $757 million loss on the company's 49% interest in GMAC, which is being dragged down by ResCap, a home-mortgage business.

As reported, GM lost money in North America and European markets. However, the amount of lost decreased a lot,which indicates the Auto giant is making progress. It might be too early to say that the company will get rid of big financial and managerial troubles in years.

For its stock, I shorted it. And made a great profit. However, because this is not the stock which I traced for a long while. I bought back after its price decreased by 3 dollars to $ 31.8.

My concerns about the stock are as follows:
1.how can we estimate the potential decrease if big lost happened?
2.What exactly is write-down of tax credits? Why could it cause such a huge lost?
3.Does GM have to write down all of the amount at one time? What's the purpose?

Mutual Fund Basic - Dustin Woodard

2007-10-31T22:23:00.000-07:00

To diversify your portfolio, mutual fund is a less risky tool to achieve your financial objective. The well diversified factor of mutual fund lowers the potential investment risk. Here we will give you some basic information about mutual fund and then learn how to pick up mutual fund.

1. What is mutual fund

The idea behind a mutual fund is simple: Many people pool their money in a fund, which invests in various securities. Each investor shares proportionately in the fund's investment returns -- the income (dividends or interest) paid on the securities and any capital gains or losses caused by sales of securities the fund holds.
Every mutual fund has a manager, also called an investment adviser, who directs the fund's investments according to the fund's objective, such as long-term growth, high current income, or stability of principal. Depending on its objective, a fund may invest in stocks, bonds, cash investments, or a combination of these financial assets.

2. Advantages of mutual fund

mutual funds have become popular because they offer 4 advantages:

a. Diversification. A single mutual fund can hold securities from hundreds or even thousands of issuers, far more than most investors could afford on their own. This diversification sharply reduces the risk of a serious loss due to problems in a particular company or industry.

b.Professional management. Few investors have the time or expertise to manage their personal investments every day, to efficiently reinvest interest or dividend income, or to investigate the thousands of securities available in the financial markets. They prefer to rely on a mutual fund's investment adviser. With access to extensive research, market information, and skilled securities traders, the adviser decides which securities to buy and sell for the fund.

c.Liquidity. Shares in a mutual fund can be bought and sold any business day, so investors have easy access to their money. While many individual securities can also be bought and sold readily, others aren't widely traded. In those situations, it could take several days or even longer to build or sell a position.

d.Convenience. Mutual funds offer services that make investing easier. Fund shares can be bought or sold by mail, telephone, or the Internet, so you can easily move your money from one fund to another as your financial needs change. You can even schedule automatic investments into a fund from your bank account, or you can arrange automatic transfers from a fund to your bank account to meet expenses. Most major fund companies offer extensive recordkeeping services to help you track your transactions, complete your tax returns, and follow your funds' performance.

3.Types of mutual funds

Money Market FundsThese funds are a great place to park your money. Whether you're storing money for emergencies, saving for the short-term, or looking for a place to store cash from the sale of an investment, money market funds are a safe place to invest. These funds invest in short-term debt instruments and typically produce interest rates that double what a bank can offer in a checking account or savings account and rival the returns of a CD (Certificate of Deposit).

Bond FundsBond funds carry more risk than money market funds are often used to produce income (useful in retirement) or to help stabilize a portfolio (diversification). The primary types of bond funds are:
Municipal Bond Funds -uses tax-exempt bonds issued by state and local governments (these funds are non-taxable).
Corporate Bond Funds -uses the debt obligations of U.S. corporations.
Mortgage-Backed Securities Funds - uses securities representing residential mortgages.
U.S. Government Bond Funds -uses U.S. treasury or government securities.

Stock FundsStocks funds are considered riskier than bond funds (although certain bond funds can be very risky) and are used for growing your money. Money market funds and bond funds typically provide returns just a percentage or two above inflation, but stock funds should do much better over long periods of time.

Federal Reserve Cut Interest Rate Again!

2007-10-31T20:44:00.000-07:00

Federal reserve today cutted interest rate by 25 basic point to 4.5% which gave great impact on stock price. We will keep a close watch about what the markets will react.

Stimulate economy VS Increase inflation, it is tough to make a decision.
Please read the article from WSJ in which they gave deep analysis.

DID YOU KNOW??

2007-10-12T17:34:00.000-07:00

------------Term Of The Day: Bullet Dodging------------

--------- A form of option granting where the awarding of options is delayed until a piece of bad news is known to the public and the stock's price falls. Because an option's strike price is often determined by what the underlying stock's price is on the grant date, waiting for the stock price to drop will allow the option holders to gain some additional benefit in the form of a lowered strike price to be lower compared to if the grant date had been on May 7.---

-------------For example,
suppose that XYZ Corp. had planned to grant stock options for its CEO on May 7, 2007. However, XYZ Corp. is going to release its earnings a week later, on May 14, and it is believed that the earnings will be under guidance. Because the company didn't meet its earnings projections, the share price will likely drop. Moving the option-granting date to May 15 is likely to cause the option's strike price to be lower compared to if the grant date had been on May 7.This practice is fairly controversial, as some feel that bullet dodging may be a form of insider trading because the option holder, who is usually a member of the company's management, will benefit by using information that is not available to the public.

Cros (CROX) .................!!! amazing info..

2007-10-12T17:24:00.000-07:00

Crocs (CROX), which is
up
217% year-to-date.

What's interesting about this stock is that 38% of CROX shares are sold
short, by investors betting the stock will fall in the weeks and months
ahead. Instead, the stock continues to power ahead, fueled in part by
the
buying of short-sellers who must meet their brokers' margin calls;
these
folks, basically, are forced to buy CROX to cut their losses short.
But
for every short who covers, it appears that new ones appear out of the
woodwork to sell, because the total short interest on the stock remains
high!

And these folks get frustrated ... and desperate. So they spread
stories
around to try to knock the stock down, one of which is that insiders
are
selling the stock!

And technically, this is true. In the past few months, CEO Ron Snyder
has
sold over 162,000 shares under a prearranged 10b5-1 trading plan. Such
plans allow insiders to set up a program in advance for such
transactions
and proceed with them even if he or she comes into possession of
material
nonpublic information.

So Snyder's selling is not necessarily a bad thing, or a sign of his
lack
of confidence in the company. In fact, as we've long explained to
readers, there are many legitimate reasons for insiders to sell stock
-
most commonly these sales are a way to get paid or a way to build
diversification.

On the other hand, there's only one reason for an insider to buy his
company's stock, and that's a belief that it will be worth more in the
future. So it's interesting to note that over the same period, Snyder
has
acquired (at very low cost) over 157,000 shares of CROX stock!

In short, he's using his CROX stock to get paid ... and a fine paycheck
it
is. But there's no way to conclude from his sales that he believes the
stock will be lower in the future.

Bottom line: Take insider sales with a grain of salt unless you're
certain
you can see the entire picture. And remember that short-sellers will
do
what they can to drive a stock down.

Who cares bout FED?

2007-10-12T17:20:00.000-07:00

"Do you think the Fed will cut rates again?"

My easy answer was "Yes, several times more!" And that answer is based
on
the simple fact that interest rate cuts, just like interest rate hikes,
tend to come in long strings.

But my real thought is this. When everybody in America is wondering
whether the Fed will cut rates again, you should probably be thinking
about something else!

The reason for this thought is simple contrary opinion. When everyone
is
looking at the same indicator, that indicator tends to stop working.
If
it did, making money in the market would be easy ... and it's not easy.

There's no question that interest rate cuts in general are good for the
economy and thus the stock market. And there's little question - at
least
in my mind - that the Fed will cut rates again. But now that everyone
is
focused on the Fed, I'm confident that the more important clues to the
future of the market lie somewhere else.

So where to look? Non-farm payrolls? Consumer non-durables? The
price
of oil? The price of steel in China? No doubt all are important at
some
level. But for my money, the very best indicator is the market itself,
and when I look there, here's what I see.

Trends are up, but overextended, suggesting that a normal correction is
likely. Our Hi-Lo Alert, which measures the number of Dow stocks above
their medium-term moving averages, is at its highest point since May,
just
two weeks before the market got very rocky and embarked on the course
that
took it down to the August low.

Now, that doesn't mean we're in for a repeat of the big summer
correction,
but it does suggest to me that building a little cash here might be
prudent.

BEAT THE BANK...:):) sounds good to me...!!!

2007-10-12T17:15:00.000-07:00

There is no end to the techniques used to evaluate stocks and portfolios, but when it comes to banks, the general consensus is that you are stuck with what you get. What you get, in most cases, is a low interest rate, fees for trying to access your money and the security of knowing your deposits are insured.

However, there have been a number of changes in the banking industry in recent years. Internet based banks have arisen to join co-op banks as competition for traditional banks. Now, in the face of increasing selection, you have the power to choose the one that is right for you. Here, we'll cover what factors you should weigh in making your choice.

We All Have Needs
If you and your bank were dating, chances are good that it would be classified as an abusive relationship. Banks protect your money and provide many of the services you need, but they charge you for them as well as charging you for services you don't need.

The first step is to figure out what services are essential to you and then make a list of them. For example, this may be services like online bill payments, ATMs and telephone banking, or high-interest and money market accounts. The easiest way to find out what services you need is to keep a notebook and track your banking behavior. Do you use the ATM or do you go into the branch? Do you pay your bills online or at an ATM? How many withdrawals are you making a month? How many deposits? Finding out which services you actually use will help you to determine what kind of plan will work best for you. (For related reading, see What are the advantages and disadvantages to dealing with internet-only banks?)

Along with this list, you will want to check your bank statements to see precisely how much these services are costing you and what services you are over or under using. Many people pay service fees for unlimited use of ATMs affiliated with their own banks and then use other machines and ring up $10 to $20 in charges every month. On the most basic level of selection, you want to find a bank that gives you the services you need at the lowest possible cost. (For more insight, check out The Ins And Outs Of Bank Fees.)

Rousing Interest
Putting your money in a savings account is not going to make you rich. Assuming you are looking for a bank to provide a checking account, the interest rates are even more nominal than those of a savings account. Sadly, many checking accounts pay no interest at all. Some banks offer money market accounts for people who want to save money with them, but these often (but not always) have a high minimum deposit. As far as saving money for the long term rather than just using an account to pay bills and cash checks, even the best bank will not match an investment.

Banking On Options
Now that we know what we are and aren't expecting, we can look at the alternatives. (For more on these options, read Money Market Vs. Savings Accounts and Your First Checking Account.)

Credit Unions and Co-operative Banking
Higher interest accounts, lower interest loans and the possibility of sharing the profits at the end of the year make credit unions a little too good for most people to believe. If this is so, it is only because traditional banks have engaged in public relations campaigns and other costly actions to convince customers that there is only one way to bank. Credit unions are nonprofit banks that make no distinction between clients and shareholders. By opening an account at a credit union, you are becoming a member of the collective. This means that you may be able to get part of the bank's profits in the form of a dividend at year's end, or it may just mean higher interest rates and more favorable loan terms.

How is this possible when a particular credit union may only have the one branch and the big banks have thousands more and customers galore? It is simply a matter of size and connections. Credit unions don't have to support thousands of branches, CEOs, fund managers, salespeople, clerks and public relations specialists. The fact that a credit union may only have one branch helps the company pass the savings on to its customers in the form of higher interest and other benefits.

The downside of credit unions is access. Even though they issue debit cards, they generally don't have ATMs outside of their branch buildings, meaning you will pay fees for foreign ATM withdrawals. Additionally, not all of them are accessible online aside from checking account balances or sending customer service questions (although the number with online services is always increasing). If you are considering a credit union, you have to think about what you are willing to sacrifice in exchange for lower cost accounts and loans. To make the most of credit unions, you have to be adept at knowing how much cash you need because you may find yourself unable to access your account at short notice without incurring fees.

Online Banking and Internet Banks
Although internet banks probably won't wipe brick-and-mortar banks off the face of the earth, they do offer a good alternative. Online banking and internet banks are two very different beasts. Online banking, including paying bills and making transfers, is available through your average bank. Online banking simply means having some level of access to your bank through the internet. Internet banks, on the other hand, do everything online and do not have a physical location.

An internet bank provides neither locations that you can visit, nor face-to-face interactions with clerks. As with credit unions, this translates into better interest rates and savings for the customer. The short history of internet banks has been hit-or-miss. Many internet banks have folded for a variety of reasons, but most shared a problem of offering more services than they could handle. Offering too many services increases the need for intensive customer support (usually by phone) and costs a lot in employee wages. The successful internet banks started off by offering bare bones services: online bill payments, high interest savings and checking accounts, and debit cards. When these services were established, they slowly expanded to certificates of deposit, credit cards, and so on.

Professors' Recommended Reading List 4

2007-10-12T08:28:00.000-07:00

Prof. Nugent

The Age of Turbulence: Adventure
s in a New World by Alan Greenspan

Greenspan's political memoir, which occupies the first half of the book, is readable, lucid and sometimes a bit thin on the dilemmas of monetary policy. In the book's second half, Greenspan the charmer makes way for Greenspan the technician, and the result is a 250-page essay on globalization. His overviews of Russia, India and China say little that is not familiar to attentive readers of the news. But the last chapter makes a powerful and remarkably self-deprecating point. Readers who persevere will feel rewarded.

Blue Blood and Mutiny: The Fight for the Soul of Morgan Stanley

The inside story of the power struggle that rocked Wall Street’s most prestigious financial institution
What began with a shot over the bow ended in a shocking coup d’etat. In less than four months a group of eight retired executives orchestrated a stunning revolt within Morgan Stanley, the venerable and—until recently—most successful financial services firm on Wall Street. Now acclaimed journalist and historian Patricia Beard brings together the entire behind-the-scenes story in Blue Blood and Mutiny, a real-life business thriller exposing the tale that shook high finance.

Warren Buffett Speaks: Wit and Wisdom from the World’s Greatest Investor

This collection of aphorisms and anecdotes reveals Warren Buffett in his own words. Drawn from articles, speeches and new original material, Warren Buffett Speaks is the only book to capture Buffett's own voice. Readers will laugh and learn from the down-to-earth millionaire's business smarts and unique sense of humor. A tribute to Buffett's all-American personality and extraordinary business success, this witty and wise ensemble covers everything from friends and family to business and investing.

Stop the 401(k) Rip-off: Eliminate Costly Hidden Fees to Improve Your Life

-- How would you spend an extra $4,000 a year for the next twenty-five years?

-- How much more secure would your retirement be with an extra $100,000 or more?

-- How much more time could you spend at your family dinner table if you could work an hour less each day?

-- What would you do in retirement if you could retire three years earlier?

Your 401(k) plan is probably one of your most important future sources of financial security. This book makes it easy for you to take the five steps needed to add more than $100,000 to your retirement nest egg without taking more risk or saving more money. This can allow you to improve your lifestyle, increase your benefits, identify the hidden costs and also improve your standing within your company by proactively helping your employer to take needed action.

The Lies about Money: Achieving Financial Security and True Wealth by Avoiding the Lies Others Tell Us—and the Lies We Tell Ourselves

Exposing the seamy underbelly of the retail mutual fund industry, this helpful primer by seasoned financial advisor Edelman offers step-by-step instructions for how to beat it at its own game. We have more to worry about than the ordinary fallibility of mutual fund managers, he explains; the entire industry has become flush with liars, crooks, and charlatans. Writing in a calm, well-reasoned manner, Edelman (Ordinary People, Extraordinary Wealth) explores basic concepts of portfolio management and retirement, and college and elder-care savings approaches. The book gets off to a slow start as Edelman works to ensure that less sophisticated readers are not passed by. After a sobering look at deceptive marketing practices, illegal market timing, late trading and excessive and hidden fees in the retail mutual fund sector, Edelman breaks down the options for ordinary people to regain their savings from crooked hands, in a detailed, interactive guide to portfolio selection. Edelman's clear writing and helpful advice are sure to win him a satisfied audience.

The Secrets of Economic Indicators: Hidden Clues to Future Economic Trends and Investment Opportunities

Every day, stocks, bonds and currencies bounce around wildly in response to economic indicators like these. They' re monitored obsessively by the world' s leading money managers. Why? Because they provide crucial, subtle clues about the future of the market and of individual investments. Now readers can profit from these indicators just like the professionals do. They don' t need an economics degree, or a CPA, just this easy-to-read book. In plain English, renowned economic journalist Bernard Baumohl helps readers find the numbers, understand their deepest meanings, and use that knowledge to make fast, smart investment decisions. For each key indicator, Baumohl presents a sample release, insider' s information on the indicator' s track record, and step-by-step instructions for decoding it. Baumohl covers both US indicators and the foreign indicators that are becoming increasingly important to investors. He answers key questions like: Which indicators are most likely to affect my personal investments or business? How does each indicator affect interest rates and bond prices? Stock prices? The value of the dollar? And what can these reports tell me where the economy' s really heading?

Professors' Recommended Reading List 3

2007-10-12T08:05:00.000-07:00

Prof. McDonnell

The Intelligent Investor

'By far the best book on investing ever written' claims Warren Buffett. Originally published in 1949, it's admittedly not the easiest of reads, but Benjamin Graham's tome remains the definitive guide to value investing. Chapter 8, 'The Investor and Market Fluctuations' and Chapter 20, 'Margin of Safety as the Central Concept of Investment' are seminal works that every budding Buffett must absorb.

Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk

"Against the Gods," a narrative that reads like a novel, chronicles the remarkable intellectual adventure that liberated humanity from the oracles and soothsayers by means of the powerful tools of risk management that are available to us today. This is a richly-woven tale of Greek philosophers and Arab mathematicians, of merchants and scientists, gamblers and philosophers, world-renowned intellects and obscure but inspired amateurs who helped discover the modern methods of putting the future at the service of the present, replacing helplessness before the fates with choice and decision.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Peter Drucker's classic book on innovation and entrepreneurship This is the first book to present innovation and entrepreneurship as a purposeful and systematic discipline that explains and analyzes the challenges and opportunities of America's new entrepreneurial economy. Superbly practical, Innovation and Entrepreneurship explains what established businesses, public service institutions, and new ventures need to know and do to succeed in today's economy.

The Effective Executive

The Effective Executive in Action is a journal based on Peter F. Drucker's classic and preeminent work on management and effectiveness -- The Effective Executive. Here Drucker and Maciariello provide executives, managers, and knowledge workers with a guide to effective action -- the central theme of Drucker's work. The authors take more than one hundred readings from Drucker's classic work, update them, and provide provocative questions to ponder and actions to take in order to improve your own work. Also included in this journal is a space for you to record your thoughts for later review and reflection. The Effective Executive in Action will teach you how to be a better leader and how to lead according to the five main pillars of Drucker's leadership philosophy.

On Being a Leader

This text delves into the qualities that define leadership, the people who exemplify it and the strategies that anyone can apply to become an effective leader. This new edition features a provocative introduction on the challenges and opportunities facing leaders today.

The Lost Art of the Great Speech

Splashy slides, confident body language, and a lot of eye contact are fine and well. But if a speech is rambling, illogical, or just plain boring, the impact will be lost.Now everyone can learn to give powerful, on-target speeches that capture an audience's attention and drive home a message. The key is not just in the delivery techniques, but in tapping into the power of language. Prepared by an award-winning writer, this authoritative speech-writing guide covers every essential element of a great speech, including outlining and organizing, beginning with a bang, making use of action verbs and vivid nouns, and handling questions from the audience. Plus, the book includes excerpts from some of history's most memorable speeches -- eloquent words to contemplate and emulate.

Professors' Recommended Reading List 2

2007-10-08T07:58:00.000-07:00

Prof. Lekacos

The Definitive Drucker

The Definitive Drucker is a fascinating look into the ideas of the man who helped to shape the practice of management as we know it today. A great read for business majors, and up and coming executives.

The Origin of Wealth: Evolution, Complexity, and the Radical Remaking of Economics

It offers a way to think about economic growth and business management. This book explores the roots of modern economic theory and ultimately declares it outmoded and wrong. It suggests that markets and growth can be explained by drawing on the field of complexity economics: the study of markets and social systems as complex adaptive systems.

Prof. Laskowski

The World is Flat: The Globalized World in the Twenty-First Century
The beginning of the twenty-first century will be remembered, this book argues, not for military conflicts or political events, but for a whole age of globalization, a flattening' of the world. It attempts to demystify the exciting, often bewildering, global scene unfolding before our eyes, one which we sense but barely yet understand.

Winning
Winning is destined to become the bible of business for generations to come. It clearly and succinctly lays out the answers to the most difficult, important questions people face both on and off the job. Welch's objective is to speak to people at every level of the organization, in companies large and small. His audience is everyone from line workers to college students and MBAs, from project managers to senior executives. He describes his core business principles and devotes most of Winning to the real "stuff" of work--how to lead, hire, get ahead, even write a budget. Welch's optimistic, no excuses, get-it-done mind set is riveting. His goal is to help anyone and everyone who has a passion for success.

The Age of Turbulence

Greenspan's political memoir, which occupies the first half of the book, is readable, lucid and sometimes a bit thin on the dilemmas of monetary policy. In the book's second half, Greenspan the charmer makes way for Greenspan the technician, and the result is a 250-page essay on globalization. His overviews of Russia, India and China say little that is not familiar to attentive readers of the news. But the last chapter makes a powerful and remarkably self-deprecating point. Readers who persevere will feel rewarded.

Professors' Recommended Reading List 1

2007-10-07T22:16:00.000-07:00

Hi! I will post a series of reading lists which I got from the professors of Stony Brook University. They are great professors, so let's see what they recommend us to read!!!

Prof. Palermo

Blue Ocean Strategy
W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne argue that cutthroat competition results in nothing but a bloody red ocean of rivals fighting over a shrinking profit pool. Based on a study of 150 strategic moves spanning more than a hundred years and 30 industries, the authors argue that lasting success comes not from battling competitors, but from creating "blue oceans"--untapped new market spaces ripe for growth. Such strategic moves--which the authors call "value innovation"--create powerful leaps in value that often render rivals obsolete for more than a decade. Blue Ocean Strategy presents a systematic approach to making the competition irrelevant and outlines principles and tools any company can use to create and capture blue oceans. A landmark work that upends traditional thinking about strategy, this book charts a bold new path to winning the future.

The Essential Galbraith

It includes key selections from the most important works of John Kenneth Galbraith, one of the most distinguished writers of our time - from the affluent, the groundbreaking book in which he conined the tern "conventional wisdom," to the great crash, an unsurpassed account of the events that triggered America's worst economic crisis. Galbraith's new introductions place the works in their historical moment and make clear their enduring relevance for the new century. The essential galbraith will delight old admirers and introduce one of our most beloved writers to a new generation of readers. It is also an indispensable resource for scholars and students of economics, history, and politics, offering unparalleled access to the seminal writings of an extraordinary thinker.

Open Innovation

This collection investigates the phenomenon of "Open Innovation," in which firms draw on research and development that may lie outside their own boundaries. The book's contributors link the practice of innovation to the established body of innovation research, showing what's new and what's familiar in the process. Looking in depth at a process recently adopted by such leading firms as Intel and Cisco, this book will lead the intellectual debate in an increasingly important area.

One Up on Wall Street
If novice stock pickers were to buy just one book, it ought to be Peter Lynch's One Up On Wall Street. Lynch relays his proven investment talents into a punchy, no-nonsense, but light-hearted read. Brimming with straightforward stock market advice, anecdotal stories and many famous investment quotes, Lynch explains how to 'kick the tyres' and find small-cap growth stocks that evolve into ten-baggers.

How Technical Analysis Works

Written by Bruce M. Kamich. It’s a thorough new approach to technical analysis for professionals and smart investors explain the fundamentals of charting and analysis, explaining how to used technical analysis to identify trends and make a profit in today's volatile market.

The Little Book That Beats the Market
Short and Simple. This is Joel Greenblatt’s presentation of the magic formula (return on capital and earnings yield). You can play around with the magic formula by using the great investment tool built specifically for this book. “The Little Book” is undoubtedly one of the best investment books of the last half century. Required reading. Foreword by Andrew Tobias.

The 3 most timeless Investments Principles

2007-10-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

I want you everyone to read and implement this....!!

Warren Buffett is widely considered to be one of the greatest investors of all time, but if you were to ask him who he thinks is the greatest investor he would probably mention one man: his teacher, Benjamin Graham. Graham was an investor and investing mentor who is generally considered to be the father of security analysis and value investing.

His ideas and methods on investing are well documented in his books, "Security Analysis" (1934), and "The Intelligent Investor" (1949), which are two of the most famous investing texts. These texts are often considered to be requisite reading material for any investor, but they aren't easy reads. Here, we'll condense Graham's main investing principles and give you a head start on understanding his winning philosophy. (For more insight, read Ten Books Every Investor Should Read and The Intelligent Investor: Benjamin Graham.)

Principle No.1: Always Invest with a Margin of Safety
Margin of safety is the principle of buying a security at a significant discount to its intrinsic value, which is thought to not only provide high-return opportunities, but also to minimize the downside risk of an investment. In simple terms, Graham's goal was to buy assets worth $1 for $0.50. He did this very, very well.

To Graham, these business assets may have been valuable because of their stable earning power or simply because of their liquid cash value. It wasn't uncommon, for example, for Graham to invest in stocks where the liquid assets on the balance sheet (net of all debt) were worth more than the total market cap of the company (also known as "net nets" to Graham followers). This means that Graham was effectively buying businesses for nothing. While he had a number of other strategies, this was the typical investment strategy for Graham. (For more on this strategy, read What Is Warren Buffett's Investing Style?)

This concept is very important for investors to note, as value investing can provide substantial profits once the market inevitably re-evaluates the stock and ups its price to fair value. It also provides protection on the downside if things don't work out as planned and the business falters. The safety net of buying an underlying business for much less than it is worth was the central theme of Graham's success. When chosen carefully, Graham found that a further decline in these undervalued stocks occurred infrequently.

While many of Graham's students succeeded using their own strategies, they all shared the main idea of the "margin of safety".

Principle No.2: Expect Volatility and Profit from It
Investing in stocks means dealing with volatility. Instead of running for the exits during times of market stress, the smart investor greets downturns as chances to find great investments. Graham illustrated this with the analogy of "Mr. Market", the imaginary business partner of each and every investor. Mr. Market offers investors a daily price quote at which he would either buy an investor out or sell his share of the business. Sometimes, he will be excited about the prospects for the business and quote a high price. At other times, he is depressed about the business's prospects and will quote a low price.

Because the stock market has these same emotions, the lesson here is that you shouldn't let Mr. Market's views dictate your own emotions, or worse, lead you in your investment decisions. Instead, you should form your own estimates of the business's value based on a sound and rational examination of the facts. Furthermore, you should only buy when the price offered makes sense and sell when the price becomes too high. Put another way, the market will fluctuate - sometimes wildly - but rather than fearing volatility, use it to your advantage to get bargains in the market or to sell out when your holdings become way overvalued.

Here are two strategies that Graham suggested to help mitigate the negative effects of market volatility:

Dollar-Cost Averaging
Dollar-cost averaging is achieved by buying equal dollar amounts of investments at regular intervals. It takes advantage of dips in the price and means that an investor doesn't have to be concerned about buying his or her entire position at the top of the market. Dollar-cost averaging is ideal for passive investors and alleviates them of the responsibility of choosing when and at what price to buy their positions. (For more, read DCA: It Gets You In At The Bottom and Dollar-Cost Averaging Pays.)

Investing in Stocks and Bonds
Graham recommended distributing one's portfolio evenly between stocks and bonds as a way to preserve capital in market downturns while still achieving growth of capital through bond income. Remember, Graham's philosophy was, first and foremost, to preserve capital, and then to try to make it grow. He suggested having 25-75% of your investments in bonds, and varying this based on market conditions. This strategy had the added advantage of keeping investors from boredom, which leads to the temptation to participate in unprofitable trading (i.e. speculating). (To learn more, read The Importance Of Diversification.)
Principle No.3: Know What Kind of Investor You Are
Graham advised that investors know their investment selves. To illustrate this, he made clear distinctions among various groups operating in the stock market.

Active Vs. Passive
Graham referred to active and passive investors as "enterprising investors" and "defensive investors".

You only have two real choices: The first is to make a serious commitment in time and energy to become a good investor who equates the quality and amount of hands-on research with the expected return. If this isn't your cup of tea, then be content to get a passive, and possibly lower, return but with much less time and work. Graham turned the academic notion of "risk = return" on its head. For him, "Work = Return". The more work you put into your investments, the higher your return should be.

If you have neither the time nor the inclination to do quality research on your investments, then investing in an index is a good alternative. Graham said that the defensive investor could get an average return by simply buying the 30 stocks of the Dow Jones Industrial Average in equal amounts. Both Graham and Buffett said that getting even an average return - for example, equaling the return of the S&P 500 - is more of an accomplishment than it might seem. The fallacy that many people buy into, according to Graham, is that if it's so easy to get an average return with little or no work (through indexing), then just a little more work should yield a slightly higher return. The reality is that most people who try this end up doing much worse than average.

2007-10-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

Well this is something u really dont wanna miss upon???
Why does the majority of my mortgage payment start out as interest and gradually move toward mostly principal?

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When you make a mortgage payment, the amount paid is a combination of an interest charge and principal repayment. Over the life of the mortgage, the portions of interest to principal will change.

At first, your payment will be primarily interest, with a small amount of principal included. As the mortgage matures, the principal portion of the payment will increase and the interest portion will decrease. This is due to the interest charge being calculated off the present outstanding balance of the mortgage, which decreases as more principal is repaid. The smaller the mortgage principal, the less interest is charged. (If you have negative amortization and your mortgage is actually growing in debt, see Understanding the Mortgage Payment Structure.)

For example, let's examine a simple mortgage for $100,000 at an interest rate of 4% annually and a time to maturity of 24 years. The yearly mortgage payment is $6,558.68. The first payment will consist of an interest charge of $4,000 ($100,000 x 4%) and a principal repayment of $2558.68 ($6,558.68 - $4,000). The outstanding mortgage balance after this payment is $97,441.32 ($100,000 - $2,558.68). The next payment is equal to the first, $6558.68, but will now have a different proportion of interest to principal. The interest charge for the second payment equals $3,897.65 ($97,441.32 x 4%), while the principal prepayment is $2,661.03 ($6,558.68 - $3,897.65).

The principal portion of the second payment is about $100 larger than the first. This occurs because you've paid money towards the principal amount - lessening it - and the new interest payment is calculated on the lower principal amount. Near the end of the mortgage, the payments will be primarily principal repayments

some tips i hade like to share

2007-10-01T19:38:00.000-07:00

So what do you buy? Well, if you're more conservative, you simply buy up some index funds and enjoy the ride. Or, if you're a bit more aggressive, you can snap up some of those ProShares I've written about before, which are leveraged index funds - more risk, but more reward should things appreciate. (Actually buying some leveraged index funds on weakness is a great way to get your foot in the door of this bull move, as you search for stocks to buy.) For our part, however, we like individual stocks and sectors. And the good news is, this market is shaping up to be a "something for everyone" market - already, a ton of different sectors are participating. Gold stocks, believe it or not, have blasted out of very long basing structures as gold prices have done the same. No, it's not changing the world, but with lower rates and a weaker U.S. dollar, we think the move has legs. Agnico Eagle (AEM) is one Tim has mentioned, and Randgold (GOLD) is a smaller, more volatile play on the sector. Wireless stocks are in favor. Research in Motion (RIMM) is a monster, Apple (AAPL) is setting up in a (sloppy) base and Nokia (NOK) is aiming to be the next Apple, as it diversifies into wireless services, not just handsets. Internet stocks are gaining traction. Google (GOOG) is setting up a base on top of a prior base, Amazon (AMZN) is crawling above resistance, while eBay (EBAY) has rocketed to its highest level in 17 months. Solar stocks are coming back. LDK Solar (LDK), JA Solar (JASO), and Yingli Green Energy (YGE) hit new highs last week, while SunPower (SPWR) and First Solar (FSLR) are coming on strong. Chip stocks are attracting money. Nvidia (NVDA) and Sigma Designs (SIGM) are two leaders in the group. Traditional technology stocks are looking good. Oracle (ORCL) just ripped out of a base on the back of terrific earnings, while Cisco (CSCO) and Juniper (JNPR) ride the wave of strong networking demand. And oil service firms are moving straight up as investors foresee accelerated exploration spending by the majors with oil north of $80. National Oilwell (NOV), Cameron (CAM), Oceaneering (OII) and FMC Tech (FTI) are a few doing well. Just note that the group is due for some type of pause. This strong breadth this early in an advance (we're just 5 weeks off the bottom) is a good sign that the traditional year-end rally could, for all intents and purposes, already be underway. However, there is one sector that's far and away the strongest in the market today - and for good reason! The most interesting part? It's not really a "sector" at all. --- ADVERTISEMENT --- Don't Invest in China Until You Read This Special Report Could the great ride we've had in China stocks be coming to an end? Consider that economic growth has exploded to an 11-year high of 11.9%, inflation has surged to a near three year high of 4.4%, and food prices have risen an unheard of 11.3%. Does this mean China's economy is close to overheating... or is it on track to deliver even greater profits to those who invest now? According to Paul Goodwin, editor of the Cabot China & Emerging Markets Report, China's economy is sizzling, BUT there's another side to this story... one that proves that the Chinese economy isn't overheating but is growing in a way that will make the profits we banked in Ctrip - up 144%, Focus Media - up 80%, and China Mobile - up 57%, look like chump change.

The Fed's interest rate cuts last week lit a fire under the market, and I'm predicting that this fire will burn for a long time. Supporting this conclusion are a number of market timing indicators ... but I'm not going to write about them here. Instead, I want to write about the very best way to make money in strong bull markets - investing in stocks with strong momentum. Now, I'm not talking about short-term hot stocks - I'm talking about those stocks that are outperforming the market and are under intense accumulation by big institutional investors. Stocks with strong momentum can fatten your portfolio fast. They might be fast-growing retailers like Crocs (CROX), which has doubled since its May breakout. They might be Chinese stocks like Aluminum Corp of China (ACH), which has gained 95% since its August low. Or they might be technology companies like Research in Motion (RIMM), which has soared 65% since it gapped up into new-high territory at the end of June. In other words, with momentum stocks, anything goes ... as long as it's going up fast!

Calm down

2007-09-28T18:52:00.000-07:00

Investment is exciting, challenging and helpful for our life. Everyone needs investment knowledge to manage their income. Also, everyone hopes their money get increased.

Here might be a problem. Every return is combined with risks. Investment is kind of test for our character and humanity. Keep awake. There is no free lunch.

What we can do is to keep concerning the security markets, to do your own research, and to enjoy your risk-reduced return.