Cheap and delicious food is here during the economic crisis. Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) will fly in the face of the recession. Its profits jumped 29 percent in the last quarter.
Commodity prices are beginning to stabilize and I expect copper prices to head higher. Copper is not just used for coinage; it is widely used in construction, electronics and automobiles, and the price is closely tied to economic activity.
Caterpillar Offers 2,000 Early Retirements; Canada Posts Rare Trade Deficit; RIM Meets 4Q Expectations, Barely; GE Powering Middle East; Dollar Rises Against Yen, Euro; GM Seeks Saab Funding From Sweden; Gold Hits 7-month High; China Injects $19.5 Billion Into Rio Tinto
The Obama ‘mega stimulus’ is making its way through the Senate. Chris Mayer says this is good news for infrastructure firms. He picks five ’shovel ready’ companies set to benefit from the injection of public funds this year.
A massive slump in oil exploration spending pummeled Schlumberger Ltd. (SLB), the world’s largest oilfield services corporation, as profit fell 17% in the fourth quarter. But the company said curtailed spending could be setting the stage for a rebound in oil and gas prices as supplies dwindle.
Demand for food never wavers, says Chris Mayer. And that’s one reason why Canadian agri-business Viterra (TSE:VT) is a good buy right now. The company is well-financed and well-managed, and is trading at attractive levels. Chris says the stock should gain over 50% by the end of next year.
Yesterday Brazil’s central bank cut its benchmark interest rate from 13.75% to 12.75%, its first rate cut in 16 months and a move to guard the country’s economy from the global financial crisis.
John Crooks says currencies dependent on commodities are in for a very tough 2009. He says weak global demand and a marked slowdown in China will keep commodity prices low. And that’s bad news for resource-rich Australia. John says a looming recession, widening trade deficit and interest rate cuts will send the Aussie dollar plummeting this year.
Fertilizer producers have been whacked by falling prices. But Matt Weinschenk says long-term food production will have to increase rapidly to keep pace with demand in the coming decades. And that means big business for companies like CF Industries’ (NYSE:CF).
If you only looked at Saskatchewan, you wouldn’t know there was a global recession going on says Chris Mayer. The Canadian province is rich in relatively cheap arable farmland. And this means the region could be at the start of a multi-year boom as global demand for grains soars in the coming years.
