EASY MARKETS

Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK)

The Setting Sun – Japan’s Debt Problems

Satyajit Das, Prudent Bear

. Today, Japan’s industrial and economic decline is palpable.
But in 2012, Japan’s Nikkei 225 stock average rose by around 23%. Much of the increase reflects faith in the reflation strategy of second time Prime Minster Shinzo Abe to increase growth through an additional US$120 billion of public spending, create inflation to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio and devalue the Yen. The strategies, which have all been tried before with limited success, may not restore the health of the Japanese economy....more

Malone’s Liberty to Acquire Virgin Media for $16 Billion

Amy Thomson & Kristen Schweizer, Bloomberg

John Malone’s Liberty Global Inc. agreed to buy U.K. cable-television provider Virgin Media Inc. for $16 billion in cash and stock to challenge Rupert Murdoch in Europe’s biggest pay-TV market. After the deal, about 80 percent of Liberty Global’s revenue will come from five countries -- the U.K., Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands... more

NYSE Arca celebrating 20 years of ETP's

Since the launch of SPY on the American Stock Exchange 20 years ago, listings and trading of ETPs in the U.S. has increased from one ETF with $0.5 billion assets under management to nearly 1,500 ETP products with $1.4 trillion in assets under management.
ETPs currently represent nearly 30% of all U.S. equity trading... more

6 stocks that cash in on Americans' debt

Lawrence Meyers InvestorPlace

I love stocks involving debt. Even though the American consumer is wisely deleveraging, companies that let people create debt are diversifying, companies that service debt are booming with no risk, companies that provide subprime debt are going gangbusters and companies that buy bad debt are on fire.

Debt is a big part of our economy, and that means you can find stocks that profit from it..... more

Building the Giant Agbami FPSO Vessel

The giant Agbami Field is one of the largest deepwater oil offshore discoveries in Nigeria. It's estimated to hold potentially recoverable volumes of 900 million barrels of crude oil and natural gas liquids and is expected to reach a maximum daily production rate of 250,000 barrels. The cornerstone of the development is one of the world's largest floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels. Key components of the FPSO were fabricated in Nigeria, setting a benchmark for using Nigerian goods, labor and services. Agbami represents not only a new source of energy supply, but also provides employment and economic opportunities for Nigeria.

NVR Inc.

Toll Brothers Inc. (TOL)

Investors Continue to Pick ETFs over Active Funds

Equity markets in general have seen huge outflows, ETFs in general — and Vanguard in particular — have seen large inflows .

Source: FT.com

Quanta Services, Inc. (PWR)

Here’s Why Apple Investors are Moving to iSell Mode

Dan Moskowitz, Wall Street Cheat Sheet

With shares of Apple Inc. trading at around $450.50, is AAPL an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE or STAY AWAY? Apple’s era of runaway growth is over. That’s a near certainty. On the other hand, investors seem to be getting a little carried away when it comes to selling shares.... more

Blackrock fund manager on how to value dividend growth 3 stocks

Stocks with fat dividend yields have become a haven for many who are tired of earning a pittance from high-grade bonds, the more traditional security blanket for nervous investors. Morningstar reports, for instance, that the Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund (VDIGX), a popular choice for equity investors seeking income, received nearly $4 billion in net new money last year, representing more than 40% asset growth.... more

DR Horton Inc. (DHI)

PulteGroup, Inc. (PHM)

Which Mega-Bank Stocks Have the Strongest Earnings Trends?

Saul Griffith, Wall St. Cheat Sheet

Earnings trends are extremely important when evaluating stocks. At Wall St. Cheat Sheet, we view increasing earnings quarter-over-quarter as a simple way to gauge whether costs and the business model are stable. Here’s your Cheat Sheet to how the top 5 mega-bank stocks rank via earnings trends... more

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