How to Profit From the Coming Data Boom

The following video is part of our "Motley Fool Conversations" series, in which analyst John Reeves and advisor David Meier discuss topics across the investing world.

Dave and John talk about a recent article that refers to a coming "tech-led" boom. Dave has been following this big trend for some time now, so he shares his thoughts about it. He then shares some ideas he's considering in addition to stocks he has already purchased in this space.

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A Hidden Reason Horsehead Holding's Earnings Are Outstanding

It takes money to make money. Most investors know that, but with business media so focused on the "how much," very few investors bother to ask, "How fast?"

When judging a company's prospects, how quickly it turns cash outflows into cash inflows can be just as important as how much profit it's booking in the accounting fantasy world we call "earnings." This is one of the first metrics I check when I'm hunting for the market's best stocks. Today, we'll see how it applies to Horsehead Holding (Nasdaq: ZINC  ) .

Let's break this down
In this series, we measure how swiftly a company turns cash into goods or services and back into cash. We'll use a quick, relatively foolproof tool known as the cash conversion cycle, or CCC for short.

Why does the CCC matter? The less time it takes a firm to convert outgoing cash into incoming cash, the more powerful and flexible its profit engine is. The less money tied up in inventory and accounts receivable, the more available to grow the company, pay investors, or both.

To calculate the cash conversion cycle, add days inventory outstanding to days sales outstanding, then subtract days payable outstanding. Like golf, the lower your score here, the better. The CCC figure for Horsehead Holding for the trailing 12 months is 53.8.

For younger, fast-growth companies, the CCC can give you valuable insight into the sustainability of that growth. A company that's taking longer to make cash may need to tap financing to keep its momentum. For older, mature companies, the CCC can tell you how well the company is managed. Firms that begin to lose control of the CCC may be losing their clout with their suppliers (who might be demanding stricter payment terms) and customers (who might be demanding more generous terms). This can sometimes be an important signal of future distress -- one most investors are likely to miss.

In this series, I'm most interested in comparing a compa! ny's CCC to its prior performance. Here's where I believe all investors need to become trend-watchers. Sure, there may be legitimate reasons for an increase in the CCC, but all things being equal, I want to see this number stay steady or move downward over time.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Dollar amounts in millions. FY = fiscal year. TTM = trailing 12 months.

Because of the seasonality in some businesses, the CCC for the TTM period may not be strictly comparable to the fiscal-year periods shown in the chart. Even the steadiest-looking businesses on an annual basis will experience some quarterly fluctuations in the CCC. To get an understanding of the usual ebb and flow at Horsehead Holding, consult the quarterly period chart below.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Dollar amounts in millions. FQ = fiscal quarter.

On a 12-month basis, the trend at Horsehead Holding looks very good. At 53.8 days, it is 7.2 days better than the five-year average of 60.9 days. The biggest contributor to that improvement was DIO, which improved 8.6 days compared to the five-year average. That was partially offset by a 2.1-day increase in DSO.

Considering the numbers on a quarterly basis, the CCC trend at Horsehead Holding looks good. At 48.4 days, it is 11.9 days better than the average of the past eight quarters. With both 12-month and quarterly CCC running better than average, Horsehead Holding gets high marks in this cash-conversion checkup.

Though the CCC can take a little work to calculate, it's definitely worth watching every quarter. You'll be better informed about potential problems, and you'll improve your odds of finding the underappreciated home run stocks that provide the market's best returns.

Add Horsehead Holding to My Watchlist.

Five Leveraged ETFs Delivering Big Gains

Despite some rather significant bumps along the road in 2011, many asset classes are now well into positive territory on a one year trailing basis as January draws to a close, riding high thanks to a strong finish to last year and start to 2012.?Included on that list are a number of leveraged ETFs that seek to amplify exposure to various asset classes, highlighting the potential to use these products to capture attractive returns over extended periods of time [see also Leveraged ETFs FAQs].

That might come as a bit of a surprise to some investors, as there remains a bit of a misconception over the performance attributes of leveraged ETPs that are held for multiple months. While there exists the potential for “return erosion” related to the resets of exposure in volatile markets, it is certainly possible for leveraged products to deliver big returns when held throughout any type of market.?

Below are profiles of seven leveraged ETPs that have posted big gains over the last year or so, dispelling the myth that holding these securities over an extended period of time is investing suicide [sign up for the free ETFdb newsletter]:

1. PowerShares DB 3x Long 25+ Year Treasury Bond ETN (LBND)

Ticker	52-Week Return*
LBND	118.1%
UGL	61.9%
BIB	35.6%
TYD	44.8%
MLPL	30.8%
*As of 1/30/2012

LBND has more than doubled over the last year as long term bonds have defied expectations for a crash and actually thrived thanks to strong demand fr! om yield hungry investors. LBND is an exchange-traded note (ETN) linked to an index comprised of futures contracts on long-dated Treasuries. As such, it’s important to note that this ETN doesn’t regularly make distributions, even if the underlying bonds have a fairly attractive yield (at least in the current environment).

LBND, which charges an annual fee of 0.95%, is up about 120% over the last year.

2. ProShares Ultra Gold (UGL)

This ETF seeks to deliver daily results that correspond to 200% of the daily change in gold bullion prices, making UGL a popular tool for investors bullish on the short term outlook for the precious metal. Gold has been climbing steadily higher over the last year, and UGL has delivered some impressive results as a result of the rally. Bolstered by a hot start to 2012–UGL is up about 20% in January–this ETF has added about 60% over the last year. By comparison, the physically-backed GLD is up only about 32% over that period–meaning that UGL has approximated its target daily leverage over a much longer period of time [see our GLD-Free Gold Bug ETFdb Portfolio].

The PowerShares DB Gold Double Long ETN (DGP), which resets exposure on a monthly basis, is similarly up about 60% over the last year.

3. Ultra Nasdaq Biotechnology (BIB)

This ETF offers 2x daily leveraged exposure to the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index, a benchmark that includes about 120 different pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Biotech has quietly been enjoying an impressive run higher, and BIB has thrived as M&A activity and a general increase in appetite for risky securities has boosted prices. BIB, which often sees single session swings of 2% or more, is up an impressive 35% over the last year.

The iShares Basdaq Biotechnology Index Fund (IBB), which offers beta exposure to the same underlying index, has added about 20% over the same time period.

4. Daily 7-10 Year Treasury Bull 3x Shares (TYD)

Intermediate term Treasuries may not ! be the s exiest asset class out there, but this Direxion ETF has delivered some impressive returns recently. TYD, which seeks to deliver 3x daily exposure to an index comprised of Treasuries maturing in the next seven to ten years, has seen its price jump as investors have sought to extend the duration of their fixed income portfolios. Over the last year, TYD has gained an impressive 45% [see Early ETF Stars Of 2012].

5. ETRACS 2x Leveraged Long Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index ETN (MLPL)

This monthly leveraged ETN from UBS has caught the eye of investors interested in current yield; unlike the aforementioned LBND, MLPL makes regular distributions that are amplified by the leverage used in this product. MLPL offers 2x leverage, on a monthly basis, to an index comprised of MLPs [see Tax Differences Between MLP ETNs and ETFs Explained].

Leveraged ETFs are, of course, very risky assets; the list of the worst performers over the last 12 months includes a number of steep losses by leveraged ETPs. If used to amplify a losing bet, the performance figures can become abysmal in a short period of time–and downright depressing if those trends continue to play out over an extended stretch.

Will Brigus Gold Shine in 2012?

With 2012 just beginning, now's a smart time to gauge how the stocks you're interested in are likely to do this year and beyond. By knowing what stock analysts and fellow investors expect from a stock, you'll be smarter about whether you should buy it for your portfolio -- or sell it if you already own it.

Today, let's take a look at Brigus Gold (AMEX: BRD  ) . As I discussed in more detail last month, the gold miner lost about half its value in 2011 despite the price of gold bullion posting yet another rise for the year. Yet the company's mines appear poised for some spectacular production. Will 2012 be a breakout year for the miner? Below, I'll take a closer look at what people expect from Brigus Gold and its rivals.

Forecasts on Brigus Gold

Median Target Stock Price	$1.90
2011 Normalized EPS Estimate	$0.05
2012 Normalized EPS Estimate	$0.19
Expected Revenue Growth, 2012	72%
CAPS Rating (out of 5)	****

Source: Yahoo! Finance.

How will Brigus Gold do this year?
Analysts expect good things from Brigus Gold this year. The target stock price represents a more than 50% gain from current levels, and with both revenue and adjusted earnings expected to jump, it's easy to see Brigus breaking out of its 2011 slump this year. Motley Fool CAPS members join in the enthusiasm with a powerful four-star rating.

So far this year, Brigus and its other small-miner peers haven't disappointed, although they still have a long way to go before reaching fair value. Brigus is up more than 25% despite seeing COO Richard Allan leave the company suddenly. Primer! o Mining (NYSE: PPP  ) has risen 10%, but it remains deeply discounted compared with the potential value of its primary gold and silver resources. Paramount Gold & Silver (AMEX: PZG  ) , meanwhile, has jumped 11% on the back of more promising assay results from its San Miguel project in Mexico.

What could throw Brigus for a loop, however, would be a drop in gold prices. With the economy starting to pick up, the bullion-targeting ETF SPDR Gold (NYSE: GLD  ) has underperformed mining stocks with less than a 5% gain, and higher interest rates stemming from a recovery could undermine bullion prices further. Yet problems in Europe could just as easily push gold prices higher.

Gold investors need to be aware of another opportunity with as much potential as Brigus has. Read The Motley Fool's latest special report on gold to find out the tiny gold stock digging up massive profits. It's free but only available for a limited time.

Click here to add Brigus Gold to My Watchlist, which can find all of our Foolish analysis on it and all your other stocks.

It's a super-speedy, seven-passenger, electric SUV

Tesla Motors (NASDAQ:TSLA), the electric-vehicle specialist and publicity magnet, on Thursday took the wraps off Model X, a seven-seat SUV with ��falcon-wing�� doors and super-quick acceleration.

Reservations are being taken, with production scheduled to start in late 2013.

http://youtu.be/NEnJv6jM_OU

Model X, which, Reuters points out, resembles a taller version of Tesla��s current offering, the Model S sedan, can bolt from 0 to 60 mph in a whiplash-inducing 4.4 seconds. (Many people who test-drove the company��s electric sports car, the $100,000-plus Tesla Roadster, seemed startled by that vehicle��s quick acceleration.)

The Model S, which sells for almost $60,000, is scheduled to begin rolling off the production line in July. The company hopes to deliver 20,000 of the cars by 2013. Model X will go for roughly the same price, with a production goal of 10,000 to 15,000 vehicles, all of which will have dual-motor all-wheel drive.

Tesla, which went public in 2010, has yet to earn a profit, but its work in electric-drive technology has been licensed to competitors such as Toyota (NYSE:TM), whose electric RAV4 crossover SUV uses Tesla��s electric-drive system. Based in Palo Alto, Calif., Tesla has attracted investments from a number of venture-capital firms and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, and also won a $465 million loan guarantee in 2009 from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Tips For Driving Safely At Night Time

If you are a skilled driver, it is likely you learned the hard way that different driving factors will require different driving skills. The more driving you carry out, the wiser you become in ensuring the safety of your passengers along with the other drivers on the road. It’s simple to know that when the weather changes for the worse, you have to be more cautious on the road. However, driving during the nighttime is also an area that calls for certain skills and precautions. In the next few paragraphs, we’ll examine how to drive more safely at night. A night splint can speed the healing process.

Whenever you think about how to drive safely at night, it is advisable to first consider how you currently drive and what time of day do you typically drive. If you drive mostly during the day, you should be more cautious if you drive at night to places you don’t ordinarily go. It is also essential that you know your own health circumstance since night driving could be affected by poor health. In particular, if your eyesight is not what it was this can be much more of a concern than it is during the day.

Aside from your own health issues, you also need to ensure that your car is in tip top shape. It’s always important that other drivers spot you in good time, especially in dangerous conditions, so make sure you check all of your lights are in good working order. This includes lights that you do not normally use along the lines of fog lights. The tires need to be examined and replaced if required since the icy winter months can be dangerous when driving at night.

There is always the risk that you will break down on the road at some point and if this happens at night, you will want to have certain things with you to ensure you stay safe and can get home. As well as having information on any roadside assistance you may have, it is a good idea to have certain things in the car with you. You should switch on your hazard lights and have an emergency kit that has a warning ! triangle and something to keep you warm.

It’s probably smart to drive a little slower and keep a distance from the car in front of you when driving at night. If it seems as if something unfavorable is about to happen, at least you have some time to react. If you follow these tips, you can boost your chances of arriving safely at your destination when driving at night.

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Silver Stock Spotlight; Silver Wheaton Review

Silver Wheaton Corp. (NYSE: SLW) shares are climbing in today's trading. The stock reached a high of $39.68 in mid-day trading, and at last check, it was up 1.66% to $39.09. Silver Wheaton shares have a 52-week range of $14.83-$46.38. The stock is currently trading above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. Year-to-date the stock is up 0.49%. In the last one year the stock gained 140.53%.

Silver Wheaton earlier this month announced its fourth-quarter financial results. The company reported record quarterly results. The company reported fourth-quarter net earnings of $123 million or $0.35 per share, up from $50.8 million or $0.15 per share reported in the same period in 2009. The company's operating cash flow jumped 76% to $124.7 million in the fourth quarter.

Silver Wheaton reported attributable silver equivalent production of 6.3 million ounces in the fourth quarter of 2010, representing an increase of 10% over the same period in 2009. The company's silver equivalent sales increased 11% on a year-over-year basis to 5.7 million ounces.

For full year 2010, the company reported net earnings of $209.1 million or $0.84 per share, compared with $117.9 million reported in 2009. The company's operating cash flow jumped 93% to $319.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2010. The company's silver equivalent production stood at 23.9 million ounces in 2010. It reported silver equivalent sales of 20.5 million ounces in 2010.

The company expects 2011 attributable production of 27 to 28 million silver equivalent ounces, which included 15,000 ounces of golf. The company anticipates total 2011 cash costs to be around $4 silver equivalent ounce.

Silver Wheaton is a Vancouver, Canada-based mining company, generating its revenue mainly from the sale of silver.

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Is it Time to Hang up on Sprint-Nextel, Alcatel-Lucent and Nokia (NOK, ALU, S)

The history of tech stocks in the field of communications such as Sprint-Nextel (NYSE: S), Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) and Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK) recovering from small cap price levels to rebound to blue chip ranges is not promising.? Recent earnings reports and the balance sheets of each present daunting obstacles.? In addition, the strategies of survival for each are raising profound concerns among investors.

These concerns have certainly played out in the stock price of each company.? Over the last year, Nokia has fallen more than 54%.? During the same period, Sprint-Nextel is down more than 45%.? Alcatel-Lucent is off more than 45% over the last 52 weeks, too.

The amount debt that each carries should be of grave concern to investors.? Avoiding debt is one of the major tenets of Warren Buffett in investing.? Not so for Alacatel-Lucent, Nokia Corporation and Sprint-Nextel. Each has a very high level of debt.? Alcatel-Lucent has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61.? Sprint-Nextel has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42.? Nokia Corporation has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63.? By contrast, Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A), Warren Buffett's company, has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

All of this debt would not be of concern if the companies were profitable.? After all, that is what private enterprise is all about.? A profit margin of 20% is considered to be healthy.? Sprint-Nextel (S) has a profit margin of a negative 7.57%.? Alcatel-Lucent has a profit margin of 3.82%.? Nokia Corporation (NOK) has a profit margin of a negative -3.85%.

A recent article in The Economist magazine detailed how difficult it is for a high tech company to rebound.? The focus of the article was Research-in-Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) and its slide.? Discussed was how another Canadian high tech, Nortel Corporation, once a darling of the communications industry, went bankrupt. At one time, according to the article in The Economist, Nortel had a market ca! p of ove r $200 billion.

Each company has a strategy for survival.? Nokia Corporation is banking on sales of the new Windows smartphone.? Sprint-Nextel is paying a very dear price for the iPhone 4S to bring it back.? Based on the stock performance of Alcatel-Lucent (ALU), Sprint-Nextel (S), and Nokia Corporation (NOK), Wall Street does not think it is working.

Metabolic Research to Feature StemuliteTM at the Olympia Expo in Las Vegas

Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts!

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FREE Daily Stock Alerts From DrStockPick.com

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Thursday September 17, 2009

DrStockPick.com Stock Report!

MTBR, Metabolic Research, Inc., MTBR.PK

Metabolic Research to Feature StemuliteTM at the Olympia Expo in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS�C(CRWENEWSWIRE)�C Metabolic Research, Inc. (Other OTC: MTBR.PK) makers of StemuliteTM, will have a booth in the Olympia Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center South Hall, September 25th and 26th. The StemuliteTM booth will feature Corey and Paul Simpson, well-known super athlete trainers joined by Cristi Cuellar, Miss Bikini Mexico International Elite Champion. They will sign autographs and explain the benefits and features of StemuliteTM. Paul and Corey conducted the first life studies of StemuliteTM on both male and female groups.

Corey Simpson, whose credits include 1999 Mr. Florida, 2001 NPC Jr Nationals Championship and 2006 Muscle Mania Superbody Men��s Posing Champion, reported that the rapid increase in strength and stamina were the most evident effects. This was confirmed by chiropractor Dr Todd J Cielo, D.C. who is also an ironman Tri-Athlete. Paul Simpson, Corey��s uncle and an NFL, Baseball and Professional Boxer trainer, conducted studies for MTBR to confirm StemuliteTM health benefits.

The principle distinction between the men��s formula and the women��s formula is a component designed to preserve the fibroglandular tissue in women��s breasts, while diminishing the adipose fat tissue in the belly, hips and thighs.

The prod! uct is b inary meaning there is one formula for morning and another for evening. In part, they work by recruiting stem cells from bone marrow to replace dead tissues and reduce soreness from exercise. The formulated compound achieves the greatest degree of stem cell activity at night by inducing increased quality REM sleep.

This press release includes ��forward-looking statements�� within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In addition to statements which explicitly describe such risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements labeled with the terms ��believes,�� ��belief,�� ��expects,�� ��intends,�� ��anticipates,�� ��will,�� or ��plans�� to be uncertain and forward-looking. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject generally to other risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in the company��s reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact:

Princeton Research, Inc., Las Vegas
Mike King, 702-650-3000
mike@princetonresearch.com

Source: Metabolic Research, Inc.

Keep a close eye on MTBR, do your homework, and like always BE READY for the ACTION!

Antic Rally In Financials Contrasts With Tepid Broad Market Action

The most-crowded trade on Wall Street persisted into Friday’s trading, and continued to add a piquant flavor to a broad market that proved about as bland as American cheese on white bread. Together, the two set the tone for what could prove to be a divisive week for Wall Street, one that will see whether momentum stocks roll over, and market averages finally capitulate to over-bought conditions, or whether critical economic data can power those averages to new highs.

Next week’s action promises to be highlighted by several readings on economic conditions. Some of them could further fan the flames of the recovery trade, while others could show more reasons to be hesitant about a consumer-led rebound.

On the plus side, investors will get a glance at a key manufacturing reading Tuesday – the ISM manufacturing index – which is expected to climb narrowly above a level of 50 when the report comes out. Fifty represents the demarcation between manufacturing contraction and expansion. The report hasn’t shown an expansionary environment since early 2008.

There’s also a look at pending home sales on Tuesday, a report that’s expected to show growth for a sixth consecutive month, something that would burnish the expectation that the housing market has stabilized, despite continuing foreclosures.

The week’s critical reading arrives amidst what could prove to be a virtual vacuum Friday, as the Labor Department releases the August nonfarm payrolls report. It’s expected to show that job cuts slowed further in the month, with job losses amounting to a pedestrian – at least by recent standards – 225,000, after a reduction of 247,000 for July. However, on the downside, the unemployment rate, which retreated unexpectedly in July, is expected to tick back up to about 9.5%, showing continued difficulties in the labor markets, and prospectively renewing worries about how quickly consumer spending is going to bounce back.

The real ! risk, th ough, is that all this comes amid a week that’ll be characterized by sluggish volume from the start, and dwindling levels as the week wears on. By the time the jobs report hits the tape on Friday, trading desks could look like a bus stop after the Hamptons Jittney loaded its passengers and headed east.

Not that volume proved all that powerful in this week’s trading – save for the handful of ”at-risk” financial stocks whose bulge in trading accounted for a freakish percentage of each day’s volume throughout the week.

The performance of the broad list matched the insipidness of the volume. The S&P 500 index(GSPC)added 3 points.

For the week. Five trading days – three of whichresulted in gains – amounted to a 3-point move cumulatively.

And in the midst of that, a handful of financial stocks traded at ridiculously inflated levels. Shares of Citigroup (C)rose another 4% as 1.35 billion shares changed hands in the session. American International Group (AIG)added 5%, part of whatproved tobe a 53% advance this week alone that carried the stock over $50 a share. Fannie Mae (FNM)increased 6%, part of this week’s 70% surge in the market value, which carried the stock above $2 a share for the first time since September.

Whetherthe rally in these at-risk financials, which – let’s admit – traded with virtually no tether to the underlying fundamentals this week, end up rolling over may determine much of the character of trading in the week leading up to the Labor Day holiday.

Introducing the 24/7 Wall St. Wire

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACOR) is taking it right on the chin this morning.? The company announced that it has received a “refuse to file letter” from the FDA regarding its New Drug Application for Fampridine-SR.? Unfortunately, this is supposed to be for a novel therapy being developed to improve walking ability in people with multiple sclerosis.

The FDA raised "format issues" regarding the electronic submission, and it also requested that some of the data in the application be reformatted and that some additional supporting information be included in the filing. The good news is that the FDA did not request or recommend additional clinical or other studies.

Acorda’s CEO said it plans to address the issues raised in the FDA letter.? He also noted that the company believes Fampridine-SR “is potentially an important, first in class treatment option for people suffering with MS."

The company plans to request a meeting with FDA as soon as possible to discuss its comments on the NDA filing.

As with most actions, there is a reaction elsewhere.? Biogen Idec Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) is the TYSABRI play for MS, and its shares are up by 0.8% at $52.95 this morning.? These treatments may be a bit different in the fight against MS, and TYSABRI has had its own PML issues that has arguably kept the drug from being more widely used.

Acorda was expected to see total company revenues of about $60 million in 2009 and about $137 million in 2010.? It is a safe bet that this filing acceptance may push back at least some of the expected revenue.? The company had revenue of $47.8 million in 2008 and $39.4 million in 2007.? Shares are down 18% at $20.50 in early trading on almost 4-times volume.? Its 52-week trading range is $14.42 to $35.65.

Jon C. Ogg
March 31, 2009

3 Stocks Under $3 That Could Double in 2012

For those of you who've followed my articles over the past year and change, you know I am more than willing to accept the risks and rewards associated with small and micro-cap stocks. The allure of small-cap investing is that it generally offers faster growth and a higher reward potential if you're correct. Unfortunately, with little tolerance for errors, traders are more than happy to punish small-caps more severely for their failures.

As I often like to do, I spent the extended weekend looking for three companies under $3 that have the tools to double from their current levels. I attempted to focus on sustainable growth as well as locate companies that would have the catalysts needed to move their stock price in 2012. Although these aren't formal buy recommendations, I feel this is a starting point from which you can research these companies further.

Here they are, in no particular order:

Aeterna Zentaris (Nasdaq: AEZS  )
What would a bullish list of mine be without Aeterna Zentaris? 2012 is actually poised to be an exciting year for Aeterna with phase 3 clinical data due out on perifosine, its late-stage colorectal cancer and multiple myeloma experimental drug, by mid-year. Aeterna has licensed out perifosine to Keryx BioPharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: KERX  ) in North America, but outside of two other licensing partnerships in South Korea and Japan, it still holds the rights to the drug worldwide. I would think approval of perifosine by the FDA should almost assuredly give the stock a huge boost from its current price under $1.70. With a strong pipeline of 11 molecules, the sky seems the limit for this micro-cap biotech.

Golden Star Resources (AMEX: GSS  )
As my original selection for my 10 Small Caps to Rule Them All and a personal holding in my portfolio, suffice it to say I'm feeling pretty good about ! Golden S tar's prospects after a dismal 2011. With this gold miner actually trading below its book value and the prospects for its vast gold reserves at its Bogoso/Prestea mines improving, I feel 2012 could be the year that Golden Star breaks the trend of break-even results. If anything, with the company valued at a mere 5.5 times forward earnings, it deserves buyout consideration from one of the larger players in the sector. As long as the price of gold doesn't fall through the floor in 2012, Golden Star should have a fantastic year.

Sealy (NYSE: ZZ  )
There's a lot of negativity surrounding this mattress maker, and by the looks of its burdensome $786 million in debt, I can see why. But, short-sellers may find themselves in a dangerous position this year, with Sealy reasonably profitable once again and growing revenue by 4% in its most recent quarter. The driving force behind Sealy's sales in 2012 should be consumers' willingness to accept price hikes, something they had been unwilling to do in previous years. With Sealy back to profitable and insiders buying shares, the recipe for a major short squeeze is possible. This could be a stock that gives investors a solid gain and a good night's sleep in 2012.

Foolish roundup
It wouldn't take much for these three stocks to double in 2012 if they can cast off the stigma of years of underperformance. All three have the proper catalysts in place; now let's see if they can all capitalize on them.

What's your take on these three tiny tots? Share your thoughts in the comments section below and consider adding these three stocks to your free and personalized watchlist so you can keep track of the latest news with each company.

• Add Aeterna Zentaris to your watchlist.
• Add Golden Star Resources to your watchlist.
• Add Sealy to your watchlist.

Difference Between Successful And Squandered Time

Additionally, you may spend very an amount of moment checking the numbers, customers, earnings. This could require you a lot of your time but it may impact your own feeling and performance if it's not necessarily your desired results and you will believe that you are in fact not really relocating towards this. You'll then begin to question the whole method and also mental poison will probably be getting closer.

Personally, I'll not necessarily consider the numbers each day in order to avoid frustration as there will be ups and downs upon everyday. As an alternative, I would give attention to my personal performance to ensure I have sent high quality information that will profit the readers. Several tips for operating intelligent and preserving long about unproductive action is to buy any timer and set that to an hour broke otherwise which is stifling an individual.

Target the certain activity that you're planning to focus on and remove the whole items that tend to be dropping your own focus. The definition of regarding effective time will probably be period that is immediately produced in order to earnings. This would mean that the particular action that you are carrying out may earn cash after working moment onto it.

Although you may study an e-book in which delivers the particular potent tricks of earning profits, it'll only acquire productive when you're actually carrying it out. This is very important because individuals tend to mix upward amongst reading through and carrying out. Brand new understanding is nothing if you didn't take real action towards that. You would need to plan on how you are going to carry out the strategy.

Successful moment would be making your own items, marketing and advertising, improving your marketing process, create company scalability and also setting up Joint venture offers. Those will be the processes that will generate income right after it is all totally done. There's also extremely successful instances for instanc! e genera te methods that induce products as well as producing techniques that market products.

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Stocks: Mixed signals out of Europe

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- U.S. stocks were set to open little changed Tuesday as jittery investors were faced with mixed signals out of Europe amid continued anxiety over the continent's debt crisis.

On one hand, Moody's downgraded six eurozone countries -- Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain -- late Monday, and the credit rating agency also warned that it may also cut the outlooks for Aaa-rated Austria, France and the United Kingdom to "negative."

On the other hand, investors may be heartened by the fact that Moody's didn't downgrade the eurozone's bailout fund, the European Financial Stability Fund.

Also on the bright side, investors showed strong demand for Italian debt in the latest round of auctions. German investor confidence also continued to rebound for a third straight month, rising to a 10-month high in February.

As investors digested the news, U.S. stock future edged higher. The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU), S&P 500 (SPX) and Nasdaq (COMP) futures were up between 0.1% and 0.2%. Stock futures indicate the possible direction of the markets when they open at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Meanwhile, investors remain on edge ahead of a meeting of eurozone finance ministers, who will consider the latest bailout for Greece when they meet Wednesday. The Greek Parliament voted early Monday to approve a package of austerity measures aimed at securing the bailout, worth €130 billion, from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.

Stocks rose on the news Monday, but the gains were modest as worries about Greece's fate continue to dominate.

Our love-hate relationship with China

World markets: European stocks were higher in midday trading. Britain's FTSE 100 (UKX) rose 0.1% and the DAX (DAX) in Germany gained 0.4%, while France's CAC 40 (CAC40) added 0.3%.

Asian markets ended mixed. The Shanghai Composite (SHCOMP) fell 0.3% while the Hang Seng (HSI) in Hong Kong rose 0.2%. An unexpected step by the Bank of Jap! an to ea se its monetary policy sent the Nikkei (N225) higher by 0.6%.

Japan's central bank said it would expand its asset-purchase program to ¥65 trillion from ¥55 trillion by boosting its purchases of Japanese government bonds. The Bank of Japan also set an inflation target of 1%.

Later Tuesday, President Obama will welcome China's Vice President Xi Jinping for a two-day visit to Washington.

Economy: Retail sales for January are expected to have risen by 0.8%, according to a survey of economists by Briefing.com, after increasing by 0.1% the month prior.

December business inventories are expected to have increased by 0.5%, following a 0.3% increase in November.

On Capitol Hill, the Senate finance and budget committees will discuss President Obama's budget proposal

Companies: Shares of Michael Kors (KORS) popped after the fashion label posted better-than-expected fiscal third-quarter earnings and revenue, and also issued upbeat guidance for the fourth quarter.

Zipcar (ZIP), which made its stock market debut last April, posted a profit of $3.9 million, as revenues rose 21% to $62.9 million and total membership jumped 25% during the quarter.

After the closing bell, social gaming company Zynga (ZNGA) will post fourth- quarter results, its first report since its IPO in December.

Currencies and commodities: The dollar fell against the euro, but gained ground versus the British pound and Japanese yen.

Oil for March delivery rose 37 cents to $101.28 a barrel.

Gold futures for April delivery fell $5 to $1,719.90 an ounce.

Bonds: The price on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury was higher, with the yield falling to 1.97% from 1.99% late Monday.  

Akamai Technologies, Inc Noticeable Stocks at - NASDAQ:AKAM

Akamai Technologies, Inc (NASDAQ:AKAM) witnessed volume of 23.37 million shares during last trade however it holds an average trading capacity of 3.93 million shares. AKAM last trade opened at $27.50 reached intraday low of $27.50 and went +18.60% up to close at $31.63.

AKAM has intra-day market capitalization $5.68 billion and an enterprise value at $4.99 billion. Trailing twelve months price to sales ratio of the stock was 5.07 while price to book ratio in most recent quarter was 2.68. In profitability ratios, net profit margin in past twelve months appeared at 17.27% whereas operating profit margin for the same period at 26.68%.

The company made a return on asset of 8.18% in past twelve months and return on equity of 9.30% for similar period. In the period of trailing 12 months it generated revenue amounted to $1.12 billion gaining $6.05 revenue per share. Its year over year, quarterly growth of revenue was 11.20% holding 6.50% quarterly earnings growth.

According to preceding quarter balance sheet results, the company had $687.52 million cash in hand making cash per share at 3.83. The total debt was $0.00 billion. Moreover its current ratio according to same quarter results was 6.66 and book value per share was 11.82.

Looking at the trading information, the stock price history displayed that its S&P500 52 Week Change illustrated -0.28% where the stock current price exhibited up beat from its 50 day moving average price of $28.22 and remained above from its 200 Day Moving Average price of $25.94.

AKAM holds 179.43 million outstanding shares with 174.09 million floating shares where insider possessed 3.31% and institutions kept 83.70%.

Obama¡¯s 2013 Budget Raises Taxes on Top Earners, Bolsters SEC Budget

President Barack Obama's budget plan calls for more money for the SEC. (Photo: AP)

President Barack Obama on Monday released his 2013 budget to Congress, which includes boosting taxes for higher income earners as well as allocating more funds to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In comments during the unveiling of his budget proposal at Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, Va., Obama said that because the nation’s economy “is growing stronger and the recovery is speeding up” the nation “can’t go back to the policies that got us into this mess.” Within the last seven months, he said, the nation has added 3.7 million new jobs.

The Treasury Department released the same day its Greenbook detailing how the president’s FY2013 budget proposes tax policy to boost growth, create jobs and improve opportunity for the middle class. In releasing the details, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said the budget proposals “strike the balance between supporting growth and laying out a responsible, long-term deficit reduction plan that simplifies the tax code and asks the most fortunate to pay their fair share.”

For starters, Obama said, Congress must stop taxes from going up for 160 million middle class Americans by extending the payroll tax cuts by the end of this month. “Congress needs to pass an extension of the payroll tax cuts without delay and without linking [passage of such cuts] to ideological side issues,” he said.

Obama said his budget plan is a blueprint for keeping the economy growing and proposes to partially do this by reducing the deficit by $4 trillion by 2022 by making “tough choices.” Obama added during his Monday remarks that the nation “can’t just cut our way to growth” rather “we have to make sure that everyone is paying their fair share.”

Obama’s plan would renew the Bush tax cuts for families earning less than $250,000 per year, but allow them to expire for those earning more. As Obama said in his State of the Union speech in early February, “Right now, we’re poised to spend nearly $1 trillion more on what was supposed to be a temporary tax break for the wealthiest 2% of Americans. Right now, because of loopholes and shelters in the tax code, a quarter of all millionaires pay lower tax rates than millions of middle-class households.”

The budget also calls for $1.5 trillion in tax increases over 10 years, which published reports have said Obama will campaign on as a way to pay for measures that would strengthen the economy in the short term while reducing the federal budget deficit in the long term.

As for the estate tax, Obama’s budget says that the administration “remains opposed to the extension of these high-income tax cuts past 2012 and supports the return of the estate tax exemption and rates to 2009 levels.” This, Obama said, would reduce the deficit by $968 billion over 10 years.

The president’s budget would also increase the SEC’s budget level in 2013 to $1.566 billion, which is an 18.5% increase over the SEC’s 2012 appropriation. The SEC says the boost in funds would allow the agency to add 676 professionals next year, a 15% increase in the agency’s staffing level over 2012. The request would also allow the agency to support critical new technology initiatives, including surveillance and risk analysis tools, better electronic discovery tools, and continued build out of the agency’s system to track tips, complaints and referrals.

Across the agency the president’s request would support the following: 191 new staff would be added to the SEC’s enforcement division—a boost from 1,354 positions now to 1,545 in 2013; 222 new staff would be added to the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE)—bringing the current number of 968 examiners to 1,190; another 110 staff would be added to regulatory divisions to focus on areas such as money market funds.

Former Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., and former White House Budget Director Alice Rivlin, co-chairmen of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Debt Reduction Task Force, said in a statement that while the deficit reduction approach outlined in the president’s budget “is a serious step forward, more is needed.”

Rivlin and Domenici said that while they “applaud the president’s willingness to begin addressing the major drivers of our debt, including the unsustainable growth of our health care entitlement programs and need for additional revenues,” and while Obama’s budget stabilizes debt over the next decade, “the real problem arrives thereafter, as entitlement costs spiral out of control and revenues are inadequate to deal with a wave of retiring baby boomers.”

But most Republicans such as Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., are opposed to any tax increase. Corker said in a statement on Monday that with “the Senate having failed to pass a budget in over 1,000 days and our national debt having reached the size of the U.S. economy,” the president’s 2013 budget proposal “vastly overstates its claims of reducing future deficits and fails to seriously address the biggest challenge facing our country, namely out-of-control spending in Washington that is generating record deficits and debt and leading to the insolvency of Social Security and Medicare. Our country faces difficult decisions regarding our unsustainable and growing level of debt, and it is incumbent upon the president and the eventual Republican nominee to lay out a valid course of action to address them.”

Corker went on to say that “The best thing we can do to create jobs and foster economic growth is to embrace tax reform that does away with most if not all of the $1.2 trillion in loopholes each year, lowers everyone’s rate, and broadens the base; reform Social Security and Medicare so they are solvent for the long haul; and put in place a serious plan for long-term deficit reduction.”

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., plans to hold a hearing on Tuesday to review the president’s FY2013 budget, with Geithner set to testify. The hearing, titled “The President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2013,” will probe Geithner on how the president’s proposals will continue to spur job creation, drive the economic recovery forward, work to cut the deficit and streamline the tax code.

Several funds offer ways to play retail downturn with options

On Friday the Street reacted violently to news from clothing retailer The Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS), which slashed its profit outlook for the year due to an estimated 20% rise in costs per-unit. The company attributed those increased costs to surging cotton prices and warned that it would not be able to fully pass on these increased costs to consumers. The gloomy outlook caused GPS shares to plunge 17% in Friday trade.

As you might expect, the selling in such a high-profile retailer weighed down other stocks in the space, including fashion retailers Ann Taylor Stores (NYSE: ANN), Limited Brands (NYSE: LTD) and Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN). What do all three of these companies have in common? They are all components in the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (NYSE: XRT), an exchange-traded fund pegged to the S&P Retail Select Industry Index.

This broad-based measure of the retail segment doesn��t just hold companies that are ��ber-sensitive to rising commodity costs, yet consumers who patronize these retailers are feeling the purse-tightening sting of higher food and energy prices. Higher commodity costs for clothing sellers, combined with less money in consumers�� pockets, is a potent poison for the retail sector. However, that poison just might be a prescription for profits for intrepid bear-minded investors, especially for options trading investors.

A look at the XRT chart shows that over the past three months buyers have ruled the roost. The fund is up nearly 7% during that time, and if we take a step back we find that XRT has delivered a 33.4% gain over the past 12 months.

Yet if the problems at The Gap — along with the aggressive selloff in GPS — are a harbinge! r of thi ngs to come in the sector, we could see a significant selloff in the space. For options traders, buying the XRT Jun 51 Put could produce outstanding upside. The option jumped over 30% in Friday trade alone, and that shows you the power of betting on The Gap-down in the space.

Another way to play a potential fall in retail stocks is via the Retail HOLDRs (NYSE: RTH). This ETF also counts Gap and Limited Brands as part of its top holdings, as well as retail giants like Walmart (NYSE: WMT), Home Depot (NYSE: HD) and Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN). These stocks all depend on vibrant consumer spending for their good fortune, and if that spending is significantly curtailed due to higher food and energy costs, it could put additional pressure on RTH. Taking advantage of that pressure with an option like the RTH Jun 110 Put, which rose 66% on Friday, could put traders in a very good mood.

If you aren��t an option player, then don��t worry, there��s an ETF out there designed to take advantage of the slide in the retail space, and it��s the Direxion Daily Retail Bear 2X Shares (NYSE: RETS). This fund is designed to deliver twice the inverse performance of the Russell 1000 Retail Index. That means if the Russell 1000 falls 2%, then RETS is designed to rise 4%. This leverage makes RETS a good trading tool for bearish retail investors looking to double-down on their bets against the sector.

At the time of publication, Jim Woods held no positions in any of the stocks mentioned in this article.

Cash Loan Prior To Paying Perks

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Filing a loan is absolutely known as one of the easiest way that an individual can apply for, but with all the needed documents that is needed to be submitted and also the amount of time it consumes for the loan to be approved, it is absolutely not suitable to those who have a limited time particularly to those who need to use it in paying important bills for hospitalization and more. That is why more individuals also consider the use of the cash loan advance, for them to have an instant cash loan.

If you are wondering what is good about the cash loan advance or other known as the payday loan, well the answer is fast approval of loan. The advantage it gives to people who are really in need and do not have other options to obtain the amount of money they need in a specific span of time can use this method. In regular types of loan, the person will have to give different as well as numerous kinds of documents so that the lender or the bank would consider his loan. On the other hand the payday loan is very suitable for those who want to loan some money because it do not require credit history papers and bank records to be considered. And what makes this advance loan better is the fact that you can get a result even just after a day.

By the time you have submitted all the requirements such as the proof of having a job, back account, you latest paycheck, and also identification, the loan will be immediately reviewed. And once proven suitable and also given all they asked for, you will receive a confirmation about the approval of y! our loan and state information like the guidelines and even the ledger of interest rate to you. And you also need to know that this kind of loan also can be applied on the internet and the documents will be sent by fax or email depending on the bank’s or lender’s policy.

And if you already agreed to the given policy and guideline of cash loan advance, the money will be deposited right at your bank account. When it comes to the payment, mostly the money will be deducted straightaway from your given bank account when paycheck has arrived. And also this is why this kind of loan is names as payday loan. Also keep in mind to be always deliberate in choosing which to have a loan advance and also read all the regulations given all of the time.

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Alpha Natural Resources Shares Plunged: What You Need to Know

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of coal producer Alpha Natural Resources (NYSE: ANR  ) woke up on the wrong side of the bed to start the week and fell 10% in trading today.

So what: There's no one news story hurting Alpha Natural today, instead, it's a range of things investors are selling on to start the week. First, the energy sector has been hit hard today because of concerns Europe's debt problems are far from over. There's also pessimism hanging over coal stocks after Goldman Sachs downgraded the sector from attractive to neutral last week. To top it off, last week a $200 million settlement over Massey's mine accident last year has hurt the company.

Now what: With stocks selling off across the board, Alpha Natural is being hit hard because it was especially weak after all of the bad news last week. Before jumping into coal stocks, I would look at energy's trend away from coal and toward natural gas and a variety of renewable energy sources as a big caution flag. I would much rather be in a growing part of the energy sector than in coal, which is very slowly going out of favor.

Interested in more info on Alpha Natural Resources? Add it to your watchlist by clicking here.