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The Investment Lesson Behind the Kodak Bankruptcy

February 10, 2012

By Martin Hutchinson, Global Investing Strategist, Money Morning

The recent bankruptcy of Eastman Kodak reminds investors they don't make companies like they used to.

Founded in 1892, Kodak shows that very few of these 19th century giants exist anymore.

Companies, like washing machines, just don't have the staying power they used to. Even the largest companies these days are unlikely to outlast a 40-year investing career.

The evidence for this increased corporate mortality rate is both substantial and startling.

According to John Hagel III, Co-Chairman of Deloitte LLP Center for the Edge and author of "The Power of Pull" (Basic Books, 2010), the lifespan of such companies is now about 15 years. That's a stunning change from 1937 when the average life expectancy of the companies in the Standard and Poor's 500 Index was 75 years.

A similar 1983 study of the 1970 Fortune 500 found the life expectancy of its companies to be around 40 years, with a third of them vanishing in the intervening 13 years.

Thus the progression from 75-year corporate lifespans to 40 and now to 15 since 1937 has been clear and more or less smooth.

The Kodak Bankruptcy is One of Many

Of course, not all these corporate deaths are due to bankruptcies – some of them are takeovers, which are much more common since the 1970s.

Even so, bankruptcy is not even enough to kill some companies. Think of the airlines, which have survived multiple Chapter 11 bankruptcies, staggering on like zombies through a fog of losses until – like PanAm in 1991 – somebody mercifully puts a silver bullet in their corpse.

Other companies disappear because they cannot cope with technological change. That is Kodak's problem, even though 120 years is a pretty good run.

However, entrepreneurs' motivations are different today.

Estate duties, which reached their current punitive level in Herbert Hoover's misguided 1932 tax increase, are another cause of short corporate lifespans. After all, if your company will be broken up on your death, you'd be wise to sell it in your lifetime and turn the money into a more liquid form.

The younger generation of entrepreneurs seems to have internalized this idea. Today, they go for repeated entrepreneurship rather than old-style empire-building.

Peter Thiel, for example, made his first billion when he sold PayPal to eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY). Then, instead of building a corporate behemoth, he used his money, skills and company-building know-how to jump-start several other companies, including Facebook and Palantir Technologies.

The corporate lifespan is thus much shorter than it was, and not likely to lengthen again.

As investors, that means we need to abandon (To continue reading, please click here…)

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Cash-Secured Puts: Keep the Cash Flowing – Even After You've Sold the Stock

February 8, 2012

By Larry D. Spears, Contributing Writer, Money Morning

In January, I told you how you can double or even triple your yield by selling "covered" calls on your dividend stocks.

While this is a safe and highly effective strategy, selling covered calls does have a drawback – of a sort.

If the stock you're holding rises in price before the calls you sold expire, you could be forced to sell the shares at the option's designated strike price.

This isn't likely to be a huge problem since you'll be selling your stock at a profit. The problem is that if you no longer own the stock, you won't be getting the dividend.

Fortunately, this problem has an easy solution. It's a strategy called selling "cash-secured puts."

Using cash-secured puts, you can maintain your cash flow while you're waiting to repurchase the actual stock at a price equal to or below where you just sold it.

How to Use a Cash-Secured Put to Generate Income

Here's how it works.

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Yahoo's New CEO: The One Thing Scott Thompson Needs to Do

January 27, 2012

By Kerri Shannon, Associate Editor, Money Morning

Four months after chief executive Carol Bartz was let go, Yahoo Inc. (Nasdaq: YHOO) appointed new CEO Scott Thompson to salvage the sinking Internet company and do something Bartz couldn't – win shareholder support.

Thompson, most recently president of eBay Inc.'s (Nasdaq: EBAY) PayPal unit, is taking over the lead role. Yahoo is in dire need of new strategies to increase site traffic and attract advertisers if it hopes to defend against increasing competition from tech giants Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG) and Facebook Inc.

Shareholders were frustrated with the decision, however, since they were pushing for the struggling Yahoo to sell.

"It's probably a slight negative because I think the best outcome for Yahoo would be an all out takeover by Microsoft," Brett Harriss, an analyst at Gabelli & Co., told Bloomberg News. "Hiring a new CEO makes the sale of the whole company unlikely."

Thompson is the company's fourth CEO in five years. Now the pressure's on him to win over shareholders and inspire investor confidence before the share price plunges.

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Options Strategy: How a Home Depot (NYSE: HD) Straddle Could Provide Investors Lower Costs, Higher Returns

January 25, 2012

By Larry D. Spears, Contributing Writer, Money Morning

After more than two years of false starts, the battered U.S. housing market may have finally found a bottom.

If so, that prospect offers options investors a chance to earn higher returns on lower costs using a Home Depot (NYSE: HD) straddle. (More on that later…)

In fact, here are just a few of the latest statistics that lead me to believe housing will slowly begin to recover over the next four months…

  • Rates for all types of mortgage loans hit record lows this month, with the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage being offered at 3.88% last week.
  • And finally, last Wednesday, members of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) expressed their highest level of confidence in the housing market since June 2007 – the fourth consecutive month that sentiment levels have risen.

So, given the increasingly positive outlook for the housing market, the real question becomes: How can investors use this opportunity to their advantage in the first half of 2012?…

The answer is an options strategy that offers lower risk and potentially higher rewards.

How to the Play the Housing Market Bottom

Now typically, stocks that rise or fall with the tides of the housing market fall into three categories:

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How to Safely Double Your Dividend Yield With Covered Call Options

January 19, 2012

By Larry D. Spears, Contributing Writer, Money Morning

As it turns out, despite the summer swoon, income investors were the big winners in 2011.

While the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished the year with a gain of just 5.5%, the 100 highest-yielding stocks tracked by the Dow Jones – as measured by the iShares Dow Jones Select Dividend ETF (NYSE: DVY) – returned a market beating 11.73%.

Of course, the question today is whether or not that performance will carry on in 2012.

However, given the contentious nature of the U.S. presidential race, the ongoing turmoil in the Eurozone and the clouds hanging over the global economy, 2012 is looking like it will provide another great year for dividend investors.

The reason stems from what Martin Hutchinson, editor of the Permanent Wealth Investor, discussed last week in his look at dividend stocks.

"The problem with going for capital growth," Martin points out, "is that you very often don't get it, and then you've got nothing – the investment just sits there."

By contrast, Hutchinson added, "Dividends are easy… All you have to do is figure out which companies have genuinely solid business models that aren't going away."

Options Strategy: Boosting Your Yield With Covered Calls

What's more, if you're willing to put in a little extra time and make use of a proven strategy involving call options, you can safely double, triple, or even quadruple the amount of income you receive from your dividend-paying stocks – even if the share price does absolutely nothing.

The technique is known as "writing covered calls," and implementing the strategy is quite simple.

All you do is sell (or write) one out-of-the-money call option – i.e., one with a strike price higher than the stock's current market price – for each 100 shares of the stock you own (the underlying security).

The call is said to be "covered" because you own the underlying shares. As a result, you don't have to put up any added money or "margin" in order to make the trade.

All of the money you receive for selling the calls – the "option premium" – is yours to keep regardless of what happens to the price of the underlying stock.

This "option premium" is then added to your overall gains, boosting the yield you are set to earn from the dividend.

Here's how it works in practice:

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How to Profit from the "Shale Oil Bubble"

January 18, 2012

By Jason Simpkins, Managing Editor, Money Morning

It's true: French, Japanese, and Chinese energy companies cannot seem to get their hands on a big enough slice of U.S. shale oil deposits these days.

However, that doesn't mean this investment frenzy is evidence of a "shale oil bubble."

Instead, it's a classic sign of an investment trend – one that will continue throughout 2012 creating an opportunity for investors to profit.

Consider that in just the past two weeks:

  • French oil major Total S.A. (NYSE ADR: TOT) invested $2.3 billion in Chesapeake Energy Corp.'s (NYSE: CHK) Utica Shale operation in eastern Ohio.
  • China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (NYSE ADR: SNP), spent $2.2 billion for a 30% stake in five Devon Energy Corp. (NYSE: DVN) shale projects.
  • And Japan's Marubeni Corp., a commodities trader, agreed to pay $1.3 billion for a stake in Hunt Oil Co.'s Eagle Ford shale property in Texas.

The Reality Behind the Shale Oil Bull Market

That's a clear sign to investors that interest in shale deposits among foreign energy companies is beginning to heat up.

And to hear the mainstream media tell it, these companies are overpaying for access to U.S. shale deposits.

In fact, they claim that has led to astronomical valuations and the formation of a "shale oil bubble."

But that that perception is actually only half right: While the value of shale deposits has skyrocketed, the reality is that the higher prices are fully justified based on the increasing demands for oil and gas.

What's more, the foreign companies that are paying top dollar for access to U.S. shale assets aren't just paying for access-they're also paying for expertise.

"Foreign majors needaccess to technology andexpertise, as well as being able to putsome portion of reserves on their books," said Money Morning Global Energy Strategist and Editor of the Oil & Energy Investor Dr. Kent Moors. "For that they are quite prepared to farm in for a minority position in development projects."

In return, U.S. energy companies get the investment dollars needed to develop costly and complex reserves.

These foreign investments also give U.S. companies the money they need to acquire more land leases and increase their odds of hitting an especially productive gas or oil reservoir known as a "sweet spot."

That, Dr. Moors says, is where the "bubble" talk comes from.

"U.S. operators cannot afford to under-commit and that has led to an inflation in land prices," Moors said. "Those prices are nowrather out of proportion toa NYMEX gas price of $2.60 per 1,000 cubic feet and hugestorage volume dueto amild winter."

Still, the demand curve for gas will eventually move up as a result of increased usage in electricity generation, replacement of crude oil in petrochemicals, and a renewed emphasis on liquefied natural gas (LNG).

These energy companies, therefore, are taking a medium-term view. In short, they believe that once demand and prices begin to rise, these higher land values will be justifiable.

So where do investors fit in?…

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Small Shale Oil Companies Make Prime Take Over Targets

January 12, 2012

By David Zeiler, Associate Editor, Money Morning

Cash-rich oil majors are set to go on an epic buying spree. In the process, they are going to create a huge investment opportunity.

Small oil companies have become attractive takeover targets because they have something that oil majors like Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) and Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) want – expertise in the hydraulic fracking and horizontal drilling methods that are used to extract oil from North America's vast shale reserves.

And many of these takeover targets are companies based in North America.

"The main opportunities to profit from M&A (mergers and acquisitions) will be in the U.S. and Canadian markets," said Money Morning Global Energy Strategist Editor of theOil & Energy Investor Dr. Kent Moors.

Ironically, many of these small companies developed their expertise after buying assets the majors sold as soon as easy-to-reach deposits were tapped. Many of those assets contained shale oil, which is much harder and more expensive to extract.

But since the global price of oil is high enough to make shale oil drilling profitable, the oil majors have been seeking out smaller players to retrieve their assets and expertise.

"These shale prospects are exploration frontiers and the big international players see them as a runway to growth," Mark Hanson, an analyst at Morningstar Inc. told Bloomberg News.

Shale oil becomes profitable when global oil prices are in the $70 a barrel range. The higher the price of oil goes, the more attractive shale oil formations become.

The price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) averaged about $95 a barrel in 2011, but will keep rising. Moors believes oil will reach $150 a barrel as early as this summer.

So the big oil companies, with billions of dollars of profits burning a hole in their deep pockets, have plenty of motivation to shop around.

For investors that means they need to stake out their positions before all the buying starts.

That's the only way to take advantage of the sudden jump in the stock price that occurs when a takeover deal is announced. Luckily, several oil sector analysts have already identified the most likely takeover targets.

According to Subash Chandra, an analyst specializing in energy stocks for Jeffries Group Inc., the stocks to watch are …

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The One Thing New Yahoo Inc. (Nasdaq: YHOO) CEO Scott Thompson Needs to Do

January 5, 2012

By Kerri Shannon, Associate Editor, Money Morning

Four months after chief executive Carol Bartz was let go, Yahoo Inc. (Nasdaq: YHOO) appointed new CEO Scott Thompson to salvage the sinking Internet company and do something Bartz couldn't – win shareholder support.

Yahoo announced yesterday (Wednesday) that Thompson, most recently president of eBay Inc.'s (Nasdaq: EBAY) PayPal unit, is taking over the lead role. Yahoo is in dire need of new strategies to increase site traffic and attract advertisers if it hopes to defend against increasing competition from tech giants Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG) and Facebook Inc.

Shareholders were frustrated with the decision, however, since they were pushing for the struggling Yahoo to sell.

"It's probably a slight negative because I think the best outcome for Yahoo would be an all out takeover by Microsoft," Brett Harriss, an analyst at Gabelli & Co., told Bloomberg News. "Hiring a new CEO makes the sale of the whole company unlikely."

Thompson is the company's fourth CEO in five years. Now the pressure's on him to win over shareholders and inspire investor confidence before the share price plunges.

New Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson a "Surprising Choice"

Thompson excelled at PayPal, contributing to its expansion into online daily deals and mobile payments and increasing PayPal users to more than 100 million.

However, he has no experience with content – Yahoo's bread and butter. Yahoo Chairman Roy Bostock said Thompson's primary focus will have to be on the company's "core business" – providing content in subcategories like news, sports, and finance.

"It's a surprising choice," Ken Sena, an analyst at Evercore Partners Inc. (NYSE: EVR), told Bloomberg. "Scott has a great track record in payments and has proven an effective executive at PayPal and has major tech chops and international experience, but as a content company, which Yahoo has increasingly become, his experience is kind of lacking."

Thompson told investors he wanted to explore Yahoo's options in the mobile sector. He'll also help the company realize more value from its minority investments in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., China's biggest e-commerce company in which it has a 40% stake worth $14 billion, and Yahoo Japan Corp., or decide if it's best to sell those assets. A sale would appease shareholders while the company regroups under Thompson's leadership.

"If they can successfully complete the Asian asset transactions, in a way that is beneficial to Yahoo shareholders, I think it will buy them some time and they'll have a chance to build for growth," Ryan Jacob, of the Jacob Funds, told Reuters.

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Special Report: How to Buy Silver

January 5, 2012

[Editor's Note: Silver surged 5.9% on Tuesday, netting its biggest one-day gain in months. And that's just the beginning of what will almost certainly be another big year for the white metal. With that in mind we wanted you to have this free report on how to buy silver. It's one of the most common questions we get from readers - and it's easier than you think.]

By Peter Krauth, Global Resources Specialist, Money Morning

Silver prices soared as high as $50 an ounce last year before experiencing a brief correction that took it back below $30.

However, despite this blip, mounting inflationary pressures, a weakening dollar, and emerging market demand will see silver retest its record highs in 2012. In fact, this time around it could even climb as high as $150 an ounce.

The white metal has already gotten off to a strong start this year, with silver for March delivery surging 5.9% on Tuesday to settle at $29.57 an ounce – the biggest one-day gain in months.

And it's just getting started. So if you don't want to miss the next big bull-run, you might consider the following instructions on how to buy silver.

How to Buy Silver

Like gold, silver investments can be made in a variety of forms. Let's take a look at some of the most popular forms.

Physical Silver: Physical silver can be purchased in a variety of sizes and weights, which determines its price. Most typical are 1.0 ounce silver coins, like the Austrian Silver Philharmonic, the American Silver Eagle, and the Canadian Silver Maple.

Their prices vary slightly due to differences in silver purity, with the Silver Maple being the highest at 99.99% pure. You'll pay about a 16% premium over the silver price for coins due to the cost of fabricating them.

Another popular option is the 100-ounce silver bar, which commands a 5% premium over the spot price of silver.

These coins and bars are essentially bought for their silver content and not as collectibles. If you're looking to build a silver stash – either large or small – bullion dealers may be the easiest way for investors to do so. But do your homework first, and check them out before you buy. Also, avoid paying more than the premiums I noted above for either coins or bars.

Some investors wonder if they should buy smaller denominations, like 1/20th, 1/10th, ¼, or ½ ounce (gold) coins. The thinking goes like this: If ever these coins need to be used to transact and make payments, one would want to have smaller "amounts" to carry around. That's a valid rationale. Even so, keep in mind that you'll pay a premium to the actual silver content, since each individual coin has to be fabricated. I believe that, should we ever get to that point, you could just convert a one-ounce coin or bar into a number of smaller coins, and pay the premium, or perhaps receive whatever else is being used for transactions (a new currency?) in return.

A few dealers that have an established reputation are:

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How Banks Are Using Your Money to Create the Next Crash

January 4, 2012

By Keith Fitz-Gerald, Chief Investment Strategist, Money Morning

In 2008, reckless credit default swaps nearly obliterated the global economy. Now comes the next crisis – rehypothecated assets.

It's a complicated, fancy term in the global banking complex. Yet it's one you need to know.

And if you understand it, you will get the scope of the risks we currently face – and it's way bigger than just Greece.

So follow with me on this one. I guarantee that you'll be outraged and amazed – and better educated. You'll also be in a better position to protect your assets at the end of this article, where I'll give you three important action steps to take. So follow along…

Their Profits on Your Money

Few people know this, but there's a process through which banks and trading houses are leveraging your money to increase their profits – just like they did in the run-up to the last financial crisis. Only this time, things may be worse, as hard as that is to imagine.

Consider: In 2007 the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated that this form of "leverage" accounted for more than half of the total activity in the "shadow" banking system , which equates to a potential problem that would put this insidious little practice on the order of $5 trillion to $10 trillion range. And this is in addition to the bailouts and money printing that's happened so far.

Wall Street would have you believe this figure has gone down in recent years as regulators and customers alike expressed outrage that their assets were being used in ways beyond regulation and completely off the balance sheet. But I have a hard time believing that.

Wall Street is addicted to leverage and, when given the opportunity to self-police, has rarely, if ever, taken actions that would threaten profits.

Further, what I am about to share with you is one of main the reasons why Europe is in such deep trouble and why our banking system will get hammered if the European Union (EU) goes down.

And w hat makes this so disgusting – take a deep breath – is that it's our money that's at stake. Regulators like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and their overseas equivalents are not only letting big banks get away with what I am about to describe, but have made it an integral part of the present banking system.

Worse, central bankers condone it.

As you might expect, the concept behind this malfeasance is complicated. But it's key to understanding the financial crisis and to avoiding a possible global recession in 2012 and beyond.

What we're talking about is something called "rehypothecation."

Most people have never heard the term, but trust me, you will shortly. Let me explain what this is, and why you need to know about it. Then, I'll offer three ideas to trade around it.

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