In my very first column, on the very first day we published Private Briefing back in August 2011, I shared an important investment lesson with all of you.
And today we’re going to see the payoff.
Money Morning - We Make Investing Profitable
Global Investment News
Stock market futures today (Wednesday) forecasted a 74-point decline from yesterday's close on weak fourth-quarter revenues from tech giant International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM).
Thursday, the ECB is expected to announce its own massive bond-purchasing program to stimulate the currency bloc's dragging markets. But any move that doesn't deliver quantitative easing will no doubt shock markets.
The price of oil rose dramatically Tuesday, posting its best one-day performance since 2012. All of this occurred in a market with oversupply concerns still unresolved and a continuing host of short artists poised to pummel futures prices at any opportunity.
So, if the environment remains essentially the same, why the rise in prices?
Here's why - in addition to where oil prices are headed next...
Good morning! Stock market futures for Friday, Jan. 16, forecasted an 86-point decline from yesterday's close.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and the S&P 500 both declined for the fifth consecutive trading session Thursday, while one of the most shocking currency decisions in recent history hammered global equity markets: the Swiss National Bank abandoned its current economic policy that prevents the euro/Swiss franc exchange rate from falling below 1.20.
Today, fallout continues as news of the Swiss currency policy reversal reverberates across the markets. The Swiss franc surged as much as 39% against the euro and U.S. dollar on Thursday, and pushed gold prices to a four-month high. The decision could have a profound impact on investment banks and hedge funds that held puts on the nation's currency.
Good morning! The stock market today (Thursday, Jan. 15) is headlined by RadioShack (NYSE: RSH). RSH stock fell 30% premarket.
Today, investors will react to a slew of earnings reports from three large financial institutions and Nasdaq component Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC). On the data side, jobless claims will remain in focus, in addition to an important update to the Philadelphia Fed Survey. Consensus estimates call for 295,000 new jobless claims for the week ending January 10.
Low oil prices may have a silver lining, after all. Without a doubt, oil stocks have taken a pasting in recent months as oil prices have plunged more than 50%. But Money Morning Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald, a seasoned market analyst with 33 years of experience, views such turmoil not with dread, but optimism. […]
The crude oil price drop today (Tuesday) fell to its lowest in five years. Both WTI and Brent oil are down 59% since June 2014.
If this trend continues, oil will be the lowest in a decade.
The pundits continue to hawk the same reasons for the fall in crude oil prices today.
These are always "spearheaded" by comments about surging global supply led by the onslaught of unconventional (tight and shale) oil production in the United States.
Invariably, what's missed by these "TV sages" are the pricing dynamics kicking in that virtually guarantee an increase in oil prices as we move into 2015.
Good morning! Stock market futures for Tuesday, Jan. 13, forecasted a 74-point gain over yesterday's close. In the last session, the Dow Jones plunged 96 points after crude oil prices crashed more than 4%.
Today, investors will react to the kickoff of earnings season. Watch for reports from KB Home (NYSE: KBH), Kinder Morgan Inc. (NYSE: KMI), and CSX Corp. (NYSE: CSX).
The current price of oil per barrel today (Monday) showed no sign of breaking its downward spiral. The long-suffering energy sector caused widespread losses in the U.S. equity market.
Late Monday morning, both WTI oil and Brent oil hit new six-year lows.
The Dow Jones today plunged 96 points after crude oil prices crashed more than 4% this afternoon. With Saudi Arabia unwilling to cut production, oversupply concerns continue to cripple the price of oil.
The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), the market's fear gauge, was up more than 11% on the day.
Crashing oil prices are certainly one of the biggest stories of the past six months.
Indeed, as the price of crude continues to drop, currently hovering just under a once-unthinkable $50 per barrel price, the issue is sure to be in the news well into the foreseeable future.
But the issue goes beyond simply lower prices, and it spawns some even bigger questions:
Are supply and demand really the drivers at work? Is it political warfare above all? How will global markets react when prices rebound?
One way or another, the implications of much lower oil prices are huge, and will impact markets, industries, and sectors across the board throughout the coming year.
All of which leaves investors wondering what to do next, and how to play this changing-by-the-day industry.
Best oil ETFs to buy now: Crude oil prices have dropped to their lowest prices since 2009, falling below $50 a barrel this month, after reaching $115 a barrel in June.
But Money Morning's Global Energy Strategist Dr. Kent Moors says oil prices are near a bottom, and will rebound in 2015.
"As the most fluid commodity in the world, crude oil has the ability to quickly self-correct, which is why longtime oil veterans aren't worried about falling prices,” Moors said. "In fact, the vast majority of them (including myself) actually expect oil prices to climb next year."
These oil ETFs are trading at a huge discount now, but won’t for long…
Current crude oil prices in the United States were on pace for a two-day winning streak Thursday amid modest gains.
In early afternoon trading, WTI prices were up $0.04, or 0.08%, to $48.69 a barrel. Brent crude, meanwhile, was lower by $0.25, or 0.49%, to $50.91 just after noon.
With cheap crude oil prices, investors are pondering which stocks to buy when oil is low.
Money Morning Technical Trading Strategist D.R. Barton told viewers of FOX Business' "Varney & Co." today (Thursday) he isn't crazy about oil given the recent slide. But he's also aware that investment prospectuses and investors looking to diversify will still be drawn to the sector.
One oil giant stands out. And another should be avoided. Here's what those companies are.
Getting started this year took a bit longer than usual.
When I returned home from the Bahamas, I had to hook up an entirely new system of computers and peripherals. To top it off, everything is in a new version of Windows.
Talk about a monopoly! After a few beers, I would be happy to tell you what I really think of it.
Finally, things are now getting back to normal.
Of course, the oil price "Grinch" is still with us. He outstayed his welcome weeks ago, but with the shorts still driving oil prices lower he's decided to extend his stay.
And as the first two trading sessions this week have shown, the instability in the energy sector remains as well.
But as I'll show you, it's not all bad news.
For one portion of the industry, lower oil prices actually mean higher profits...
