American Express Co. (AXP) today (Tuesday) won approval from the U.S. Federal Reserve to become a commercial bank, giving the credit card titan a crucial lifeline as the risk of defaults runs higher in the slowing global market.
Well, the wonderful rally we had on Tuesday was not allowed to blossom into anything on Wednesday. The high of the day was about 15 minutes after trading began on the Globex trading system at the start of the business day in Sydney, very early Wednesday morning. From there, the price oscillated between $750 and $760…until half an hour after the London p.m. fix. Then, the $20 price spike that we had on Tuesday at that time, was completely reversed…almost to the penny.
Unprecendented government action is beginning to thaw credit markets. Commercial paper is being traded again. But this credit crisis is far from over, says William Patalon III. The trickle of finance will only reach top-grade companies. The weak will either go bankrupt or be swallowed up by their healthier rivals.
Recession is on the way, but don’t join the stampede out of the market. There are still ways to beat the bear. Martin Denholm has a simple five-point investment plan to profit in this downturn. 1) Go short. 2) Buy put options. 3) Sell call options. 4) Use bearish mutual Funds. 5) Buy reverse ETFs on vulnerable sectors.
With the stock market in turmoil, it’s a good time to check in on what Warren Buffett is doing with his portfolio. Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A, BRK.B) has struggled in the first half of the year. Money Morning’s Jason Simpkins says $3.5 billion of Berkshire’s recent $4-billion shopping spree is still unaccounted for…
Since March, shares in Warren Buffett’s investment vehicle, Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.A, BRK.B), have plunged 23%.
The Class A shares closed Friday at $116,650 each, down from their 52-week high of $151,650 (the Class B shares represent 1/30th of the Class A shares).
However, Money Morning’s Horacio Marquez says Berkshire’s share price is merely a reflection of the slowdown in the US economy. And with shares now at bargain prices, it’s a perfect opportunity to take a stake in one of the best investment portfolios on the planet…
In Far East trading on Tuesday morning, both silver and gold got sold off. The bottom was in shortly before London opened…and a spirited rally commenced until about 6:30 a.m. New York time when both metals got sold off again…with some help on the Comex open.
Retail sales were disappointing, just as I thought that they would be. Looks like the “fluff” from the stimulus checks has all gone through the wringer! And credit cards are getting maxed out.
If you want to invest like Warren Buffett, you have to think very small says Jim Nelson in Penny Sleuth.
Buffett’s investment vehicle, Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BKR.A), made its best gains in the ’70s and ’80s, when its tight budget meant it could only investment in small-caps. It is much easier to make huge gains when starting from a low base.
Berkshire now deals with the world’s largest organizations. The next Buffett will be investing in today’s penny stocks. More from Jim…
Small online businesses are in for a serious wake-up call in 2011, says Mark Nestmann in The Sovereign Society. This is because it will then become mandatory for all electronic payment systems to report sales data to the IRS. The agency will then be able to check these records against filed tax returns from business owners.
