– T. Boone Pickens

Inflation can do tricky things to markets. It creates distortions. In those distortions, an intrepid investor can find some big moneymaking ideas. I think we’ve got one opening up in oil and gas, and it is not without precedent in financial markets. In fact, it’s starting to look a little like the tail end of the 1970s in some respects.

In the spring of 1969, the Dow Jones industrial average stood at 969. By 1982, the Dow hit 1,071. That’s thirteen years of going nowhere. (We’ve had 10 years or so of going nowhere, though the ride between the poles has been anything but boring).

The problem is inflation makes that performance look better than it really was, like when a crooked judge makes a fight look close with a split decision even when the one fighter can barely walk to his corner and everybody in the building knows it was a rout.

Adjusted for inflation, or the weak dollar, the Dow was really more like 400. That makes it one of the worst stretches for the market since the 1930s.

The consumer price index, that flawed measure of inflation, doubled from 1960 to 1982. This is why a generation of people grew to believe that the best way to buy a house was to borrow all you could afford. And for a time, that looked brilliant. As Robert Sobel relates in a history of the period, a modest suburban home going for $30,000 in 1969 sold for $300,000 13 years later. With a lot of debt, your returns were much greater.

Of course, that kind of thinking eventually got us into a heap of trouble, as we now know.

But that period of time also had an effect on Corporate America’s balance sheets. When a company buys an asset, say a factory, it records its cost on its books. It will then depreciate this asset over time. So the value of the factory on its books will decline over time.

In a period of high inflation, its book value will be understated. The cost of a similar factory will be a lot higher in dollar terms, though the company will still show the old figure.

In other words, during periods of inflation, book values understate the true value of corporate assets. This happened in the 1960-82 period. Combine that phenomenon with a stagnant stock market and, eventually, you get some very cheap stocks. This is exactly what happened during the inflationary 1970s. Thus, by the early 1980s, stocks were quite cheap indeed.

In fact, by July 1984, S&P reported that 30% of the stocks on the NYSE traded below net tangible book value. The old value mavens like Ben Graham would have had a field day.

What happened next, though, is what interests us especially. The low stock prices kicked off a takeover boom. The 1980s takeover mania was the busiest since the “age of Morgan at the turn of the century,” Sobel reports in his The Age of Giant Corporations. The 1980s was the age of the LBO, Barbarians at the Gate, Michael Milken and the corporate raider.

The oil industry also had its takeover boom. In fact, the outlines of the 1980s oil and gas industry look similar to today’s. In 1970s, there was a drilling boom as people thought that oil and gas prices would rise indefinitely. That collapsed and then you had oil and gas companies sitting on huge reserves they built up during the boom.

So in a time when it cost $15 a barrel to get oil out the ground, many oil companies traded for $5 a barrel in proven reserves. Getty Oil traded for $72 per share, with assets of $250 per share. Marathon’s stock went for $68, even though each share had $210 in assets backing it up. And on and on it went.

Enter T. Boone Pickens. An Oklahoma-born geologist, Pickens was well aware of the value of these companies. He started going after them and making millions of dollars as bidding wars ensued. He lost several of these, but still cleared millions in profits.

There was a roll call of takeovers in the industry during this time — Shell bought Belridge Oil for $3.6 billion, DuPont bought Conoco for $7.4 billion and U.S. Steel took out Marathon for $6.5 billion. (Yes, U.S. Steel thought it would be smart to diversify). These were some of the bigger deals.

I won’t go too much into the history of this period, and perhaps I’ve already gone into too much detail. But I think something similar may be unfolding in today’s market.

In oil and gas, we have many companies trading cheaply in the wake of a drilling boom gone bust. What we need now is a T. Boone Pickens to shake things up.

When I look at some of my favorite oil and gas stocks, like Contango Oil & Gas (MCF:amex), I see stocks trading for far less than what it would cost you to find those reserves. If I were a natural gas producer, I’d look to pick up stocks like these, rather than drill new wells. At some point, I think that will happen and we’ll see lots of buyouts in the oil and gas sector.

Natural gas is very cheap right now, but it won’t always be the case. In a new research report by Tudor Pickering Holt & Co., a very good firm specializing in energy, $7.50 natural gas prices is forecast for next year! That’s pretty bold considering natural gas is under $3.00.

The firm bases this prediction on a comprehensive, bottoms-up model that takes into account rig count, decline rates on existing wells and other variables. According to Tudor Pickering, “The die is cast for 2010” — there is no way to get around a dramatic decline in natural gas production next year. And even assuming tepid demand for natural gas, we’re going to have a very different picture in natural gas next year.

After that, Tudor Pickering predicts the market will get full again by 2011. If it is right, we have a great window to make money between now and probably the middle of 2010 in natural gas.

Source: The Coming Takeover Boom

But an early rally in U.S. stocks faded about midday in New York after Treasuries rose as investors swooped in to take advantage of sharp losses on Friday.

Oil rose to a 10-month high near $75 a barrel and other commodities also surged as optimism that major economies were pulling out of recession drove hopes of rebounding demand. .

Global stocks as measured by MSCI’s all-country world index <.MIWD00000PUS> rose 1.2 percent and was on track for a fifth straight session of gains.

The yen fell while the U.S. dollar slid against commodity currencies, such as the Australian and New Zealand dollars, as investors became more comfortable with riskier trades given the upbeat assessment of the world economy.

“Economic data is in favor of a stronger recovery than expected. We can be quite bullish on risky assets,” said Romain Boscher, head of equity management at Groupama Asset Management.

Euro zone industrial new orders in June rebounded 3.1 percent month-on-month, or more than expected, the European Union statistics office Eurostat said.

In the United States, economic activity improved again in July from extremely weak levels earlier this year, suggesting the recession is waning, a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago showed.

In addition, China’s latest data for July indicated that while growth was moderating after a strong second quarter, the recovery remained on track to achieve the government’s goal of 8 percent growth for the full year.

“The Chinese news was good and we had some positive news out of Europe as well,” said Rob Montefusco, a trader at Sucden Financial in London. “Technicals are pointing upwards.”

But U.S. stocks pared earlier gains. About 1 p.m. (1300 GMT), the Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was up 15.34 points, or 0.16 percent, at 9,521.30. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index <.SPX> was up 1.11 points, or 0.11 percent, at 1,027.24. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 1.49 points, or 0.07 percent, at 2,019.41.

European shares hit their highest closing level in nearly 10 months, boosted by banks and miners.

The FTSEurofirst 300 <.FTEU3> index of top European shares ended 0.9 percent up at 975.19 points, the highest closing level since early November.

Banks were among top gainers, with DJ STOXX banking index <.SX7P> rising 1.8 percent.

Japan’s Nikkei average <.N225> jumped 3.4 percent, booosted by hopes for a global recovery and lifted by camera maker Canon Inc <7751.T> and other exporters.

Investors increased their risk-taking in the wake of stronger-than-expected U.S. existing home sales data and upbeat comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

Copper prices rose to their highest in more than a week, helped by strong investment demand and bets the economic crisis is petering out.

Jesper Dannesbee, a senior commodities strategist at Societe General, said real demand has not improved that much it but will improve gradually through the year.

“This is follow through from Friday. There is a general appetite for risky assets driven by cheap money and lax monetary policy,” Dannesbee said.

Gold edged below $950 an ounce, under pressure from a firmer dollar, but remained rangebound as support from higher oil prices and investor demand prevented it falling further.

Spot gold was at $949.80 per ounce

U.S. Treasury debt prices rose, with the 30-year bond gaining more than a full point, as investors did some bargain hunting after Friday’s sharp losses and after the Federal Reserve bought government debt.

The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note was up 19/32 in price to yield about 3.49 percent.

Benchmark euro zone government bonds ended flat as data bolstered the recovery view, but caution on its sustainability eased the selling pressure.

“The stock market has been the barometer for growth and potential inflation,” said Troy Buckner, managing principal of NuWave Investment Management in Morristown, New Jersey. “And yes. it’s been an extreme correlation between equity market movements and commodities, especially copper, aluminum and crude oil.”

But Buckner said that prices have climbed “too far too fast,” leading his firm to short crude and heating oil, while reducing long positions in copper and aluminum.

Euro zone government bonds ended flat as economic data bolstered the view the global economic recovery is under way but caution about the recovery eased selling pressure. Investors worried whether new U.S. debt issuance this week would be welcomed by buyers.

U.S. crude rose 51 cents to $74.40 a barrel.

Aug 24 (Reuters)

Shares of Ford were up 7 percent at $8.58 before the bell after senior company executives said the automaker was on track to post its first monthly sales increase in two years.

In banking news, Barclays PLC reported an 8 percent rise in half-year profit, while HSBC Holdings PLC said its first-half profit halved from a year ago, but the results were better than the analyst consensus forecast.

“The greatest difficulty has been in financials, so the gains in HSBC and Barclays (are) adding to optimism and (suggest) that the worst may be over,” said Andre Bakhos, president of Princeton Financial Group, in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

“It’s comforting to see that we are in a global rebound in earnings.”

The Select Sector SPDR Financial ETF was up 2.2 percent before the bell.

A rise in oil prices was also poised to underpin the broader market, with U.S. front-month crude up 2.4 percent, or $1.65, to $71.10 a barrel.

S&P 500 futures rose 10 points and were above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures climbed 74 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures were 17.00 points higher.

The rise in U.S. stock index futures suggested that indexes will open up about 1 percent or more. The benchmark S&P 500 <.SPX> could begin trading at a 9-month high, very close to the psychologically important 1,000 level, after registering its best five-month winning streak since 1938 on Friday.

In Europe stocks were up more than 1 percent.

3M Co shares rose 2.4 percent to $72.22 before the bell after Goldman Sachs upgraded the Dow component to “buy” from “neutral.”

Ford, due to report its July sales later in the day, is among the primary beneficiaries of the federal government’s “Cash for Clunkers” incentive program that took effect on July 24.

The Senate on Monday is due to vote on extending the program to stimulate auto sales after the U.S. House approved $2 billion for it on top of an initial $1 billion in June.

The economic calendar includes the Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index due at 10 a.m. (1400 GMT). A Reuters poll of economists forecast a July reading of 46.2 from 44.8 in June.

NEW YORK, Aug 3 (Reuters)

Investors awaited a statement from the Federal Reserve, due at around 2:15 p.m. EDT (1815 GMT), for clues on how the U.S. central bank assesses the economy.

Technology shares rose after better-than-expected quarterly profit and sales from Oracle Corp . The software maker’s stock was among the Nasdaq’s top advancers, up 7.9 percent at $21.43. Shares of IBM rose 0.7 percent to $105.17 on the New York Stock Exchange and helped left the Dow industrials.

The Fed is widely expected to leave the benchmark fed funds rate at almost zero, but investors will hone in on its statement for clues on the central bank’s economic outlook.

“The policy statement is likely to say the economy is still mired in slow growth and inflation is not a problem,” said Bruce Bittles, chief investment strategist at Robert W. Baird & Co in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Dow Jones industrial average  was up 55.40 points, or 0.67 percent, at 8,378.31. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index was up 12.69 points, or 1.42 percent, at 907.79. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 38.48 points, or 2.18 percent, at 1,803.40.

New orders for durable goods, which are long-lasting U.S. manufactured products such as refrigerators and washing machines, increased by a much stronger-than-expected 1.8 percent in May, and the median price of new homes hit its highest level since December, even though sales slipped, economic data showed.

“… There was a lot of concern about the economy and all of a sudden the economy shows some signs of life, and so does the market,” Bittles said.

Although stocks rose sharply from early March through May, gains have stalled recently as investors sought signs the economy is recovering enough to justify the market’s rally.

The broad S&P 500 index is up 34 percent from a 12-1/2-year closing low on March 9, it had soared as much as 40 percent during the spring rally.

NEW YORK, June 24 (Reuters)

Traders have grown increasingly fearful in recent weeks that the powerful surge in the three major U.S. stock indices – one of the strongest in history – may not have been justified because of an ongoing economic recovery that’s not as strong as originally believed.

“There’s no question in my mind that the economy is improving,” Phil Orlando, chief equity market strategist at Federated Investors, told The Associated Press on Friday. “But investors are betting on some sideways consolidation rather than a continuation of a sharp spike in share prices.”

All the major indexes closed the week down for the first time since the week of May 11. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 3%, theStandard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 2.6%, and the Nasdaq Composite Index 1.7%.

Stocks returned to the whipsaw trading pattern investors had grown wearily accustomed to in the months before the rally got under way.

Stocks fell early in the week as a handful of weak economic reports – including news that industrial production had fallen for the seventh straight month – contradicted other reports that seemed to depict a gradual improvement in the American economy.

But some modestly upbeat economic reports sent U.S. share prices up a bit on Thursday; one report demonstrated that the overall number of people drawing unemployment benefits fell last week for the first time since the start of January.

But it wasn’t until stocks finished the day mixed on Friday – with financial, retail and tech shares gaining, while energy and utility shares dropped – that the three major indices finished with their first weekly loss since the start of May.

Last week was a loss. And the week before the three key indices each rose less than 1%.

“It’s not going to be a one-way ride,” Keith Walter, portfolio manager of Artio Global Equity Fund, told reporters.

Since periods of powerful market overperformance are usually followed by a period of sharp underperformance, institutional players have been looking for a down week.  Usually, a 40% surge like the one seen in the S&P 500 index takes years to develop, not months.

But here’s the question: Does last week’s market pullback have more to go, or can it still move higher after two consecutive weeks of sideways trading?
The conventional wisdom is calling for a stretch of choppy trading that will last through the summer, a period during which there’s low volume, until July when Corporate America begins announcing second-quarter earnings.

Market Matters

As the Dow finished the week in the “red,” it also turns out that its push into positive territory for the year was relatively short-lived.  Just one trading session beyond the index’s surge into the “black,” traders surveyed the economic landscape, evaluated the new regulatory environment, reconsidered the ballooning deficit (not even including health care) and chose to book some profits.  While the other major indexes remain profitable year-to-date, many investors believe the markets stand at a crossroad as they attempt to determine whether the recent move has been:

• A mere blip on the radar screen, amid a much-longer bear market.
• A much-too-fast run-up for a rebounding economy that that still faces a plethora of challenges.
• The start of a new bull market that simply is taking a week off to digest all the “euphoric” news.

The analysts, TV pundits, and bloggers maintain no shortages of views about the markets’ future direction.  Only time will tell.

As expected, major financial institutions rushed to pay back $68 billion in Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) money and get out from under the strong arm of the government.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM), Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS), and Morgan Stanley(NYSE: MS) highlighted the list, while Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C), Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC), and Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC)are among those still seeking Uncle Sam’ approval for every action.
Meanwhile, Standard & Poor’s downgraded 18 related institutions, including a few that paid back the bailout money - BB&T Corp. (NYSE:BBT) and U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB) – and warned about the industry’s future

The Obama administration revealed plans for the most significant financial regulatory overhaul since the Great Depression.  The proposal expands the oversight role of the U.S. Federal Reserve, and includes higher capital and liquidity requirements, stricter reviews over hedge funds and certain derivative products, and the creation of a new consumer protection agency.  U.S. Treasury Secretary Geithner detailed the plan before the Senate and was met with mixed (but predictable) reactions…Republicans thought it was excessive, while Dems felt it didn’t go far enough.

If both sides dislike it equally, perhaps it’s a good plan?

Volatility returns to the markets as the VIX (Chicago Board Option Exchange Volatility Index) surged past the critical 30 mark early in the week, a sign generally associated with stock-market pessimism.  Bonds continued their ongoing roller-coaster ride as some fixed-income investors remained concerned about the global demand for U.S. debt, while others turned to the asset class as a flight-to-quality from riskier securities.

The worries continued as both China and Japan reportedly cut back their treasury holdings in April, a worrisome development considering the upcoming Treasury auctions will add a record $104 billion of government securities to the Street.

Oil hovered around the $70 a barrel level and gas prices increased for 52 straight days as consumers began to feel the pinch just in time for the summer holiday travel season.  Options expiration from “quadruple-witching Friday” brought additional volatility as each major equity index gave back some ground for the week on less-than-favorable reports from the likes of Best Buy Co. (NYSE: BBY) and FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX).

Market/ Index	Year Close (2008)	Qtr Close (03/31/09)	Previous Week (06/12/09)	Current Week (06/19/09)	YTD Change
Dow Jones Industrial	8,776.39	7,608.92	8,799.26	8,539.73	-2.70%
NASDAQ	1,577.03	1,528.59	1,858.80	1,827.47	+15.88%
S&P 500	903.25	797.87	946.21	921.23	+1.99%
Russell 2000	499.45	422.75	526.84	512.72	+2.66%
Global Dow	1526.21	1347.38	1,694.76	1,633.70	+7.04%
Fed Funds	0.25%	0.25%	0.25%	0.25%	0 bps
10 yr Treasury (Yield)	2.24%	2.68%	3.79%	3.79%	+155 bps

Economically Speaking

While U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke will be gaining enhanced powers under the federal financial system makeover, he must be wondering whether he will be around to experience them.  Despite the unprecedented challenges he has faced over the past few years, U.S. President Barack Obama has been tightlipped about whether he will reappoint Bernanke for another term when the central bank chairman’s current stint expires in January.

“Ben Bernanke has handled his position extraordinarily well under extraordinary circumstances…but I’m not going to make news on that right now,” President Obama said.

Some Fed watchers believe that President Obama has Lawrence Summers, the former U.S. Treasury secretary and present National Economic Council chairman, in mind for the position.

On the economic front, inflation data highlighted the week’s releases as both producer price index (PPI) and the consumer price index (CPI) for May were reported as below expectations.  While certain naysayers pressed forward on the scary “deflation” argument, other naysayers point to the rapid rise in energy prices as proof that the dreaded “I” word is merely lurking on the horizon.

For now, however, inflation is not considered “Public Enemy No. 1″ and economists will focus on housing, labor, and manufacturing for more signs of economic stability.

Turning to housing, new construction climbed by its largest amount in three months and even building permits jumped in May as prospects for the future look more promising.  Bear in mind, however, homebuilding activity still remains more than 45% below last year’s levels.

Industrial production fell more than 1% in May as automakers Chrysler Group LLC and General Motors Corp. (OTC: GMGMQ) continued shutting down plants and limiting production as they initiated their restructuring plans.  While initial jobless claims actually increased slightly in its most recent weekly release, total insurance claims actually fell for the first time in five months.  Still, the labor market remains the primary concern as the economy begins to show some signs of improvement.

On that note, the leading economic indicators (LEI), an index thought to forecast economic activity for the next three to six months, experienced its best showing since March 2004.

Weekly Economic Calendar

Source:  Market Stumble Heightens Worries That Economic Rebound May Not Be That Strong

Worries that the economic recovery could be tepid have wilted the optimism that drove the S&P 500 up by as much as 40 percent from the 12-year low in March.

Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM) and Chevron Corp (CVX) were the biggest drags on the Dow as the price of oil fell below $68 a barrel on the stronger dollar. Exxon was down 2 percent to $69.61, while Chevron fell 2.5 percent to $66.34.

While higher oil prices can be a boon for energy companies, rising prices can force consumers to further curb spending, potentially stalling any budding stabilization.

“While the worst might be over, it doesn’t mean we’re off to strong growth in any of the major economies globally,” said Alan Lancz, president of Alan B. Lancz & Associates Inc in Toledo, Ohio.

The World Bank said prospects for the global economy remain “unusually uncertain” as it cut 2009 growth forecasts for most economies.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 109.66 points, or 1.28 percent, to 8,430.07. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gave up 15.93 points, or 1.73 percent, at 905.30. The Nasdaq Composite Index lost 36.54 points, or 2 percent, to 1,790.93.

The S&P 500 is still up nearly 34 percent from the March trough.

Walgreen Co. (WAG) fell 4.1 percent to $30.14 after the big drugstore chain posted slightly lower third-quarter profit as shoppers stuck to the necessities. In the same sector, CVS Caremark Corp slid 2.5 percent to $66.34.

On the Nasdaq, Gilead Sciences Inc was down 2.1 percent at $46.03 after Morgan Stanley (MS) cut its price target on the company’s stock to $59 from $62.

Apple Inc swung between gains and losses and were off 1 percent to $138.13. Apple said it sold more than 1 million units of its newest iPhone in the first three days of the launch.

But over the weekend it was reported Apple (AAPL) Chief Executive Steve Jobs had a liver transplant about two months ago. Jobs is expected to return to work later this month.

Investors are also cautious ahead of a Federal Reserve meeting that starts on Tuesday, bracing for Fed guidance on growth and any hints on expanding the central bank’s $300 billion program of Treasuries purchases.

NEW YORK, June 22 (Reuters)

If history is our guide, then the rally we’ve seen in U.S. stocks in recent weeks is more than just a periodic run-up in share prices – it’s the initial stage of a prolonged bull market.

The 13-week rally the Dow Jones Industrial Average has experienced off its March lows is the most powerful surge that index has seen since the Great Depression. If we look to history, stocks should continue to rally over the next three months.

“I say this with the utmost confidence and my fingers tightly crossed: This is the start of a new bull run,” Hugh Johnson, chairman of Johnson Illington Advisors, told MarketWatch.com.

The 13-week stretch from March 9 through May 29, which saw the Dow soar 28.3%, has been bested only once – by the 40.8% run-up the Dow enjoyed in the 13 weeks that followed its hitting a bottom in May 1932. The Dow surged an additional 3.1% last week.

Going back to 1900 – in any given quarter (13 weeks) – there have been 18 cases in which the market surged 20% or more, Johnson said.

Looking at the trends, the odds are strong that the Dow will be higher three weeks from now, and that means the odds are strong that the index will be higher three months from now.

“Based on history, who knows where we’re going to be four weeks from now? But in 12 weeks, the odds are we’ll be 3.8% higher,” Johnson said.
That can’t be guaranteed, however, since there has been at least case where stocks had a huge quarter, only to plunge afterward: In May 1929, the Dow zoomed 26% in 13 weeks – only to plunge 38.9% in the 12 weeks that followed.

Market Matters

General Motors Corp. (OTC: GMGMQ) officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and another U.S. icon has been laid to rest (until the “new” GM emerges better than ever).  With another $30 billion in government aid in hand, GM quickly moved forward by financing the acquisition of supplier Delphi Corp. (OTC: DPHIQ) by a buyout firm that will help it emerge from its own bankruptcy; reaching an agreement to sell Saturn to Penske Automotive Group Inc. (NYSE: PAG); and entering into a deal to unload Hummer to China’s Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Corp. (though regulatory “challenges” are sure to hold up that one).  Meanwhile, Chrysler LLC progressed with its own restructuring Fiat SpA (OTC ADR: FIATY), much to the chagrin of about 800 dealers; and Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) plans to increase production to take advantage of the misfortunes of its primary competitors.

Shifting to a more “stable” industry, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair seem to be targeting Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) for a management shake-up, a move that could give regulators greater control of the one-time financial behemoth.  Smith Barney brokers found their new homes as a significant joint venture between Citi and Morgan Stanley (NYSE: C) was completed.  Citi also attempted to save face from the prior American International Group Inc. (NYSE: AIG) embarrassment by announcing plans to withhold millions in previously promised severance packages to former execs. On the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) front, JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), Morgan Stanley, and American ExpressCo. (NYSE: AXP) each revealed plans for stock offerings as they race to become the first major bank to repay “bailout” moneys.  With GM now in bankruptcy and Citi struggling to overcome its own problems, theDow Jones Industrial Average is replacing them with Cisco SystemsInc. (Nasdaq: CSCO) and The Travelers Cos. Inc. (NYSE: TRV)effective June 8.

Energy prices resumed their higher trek, as crude spiked above $70 a barrel for the first time since last October, despite reports that showed demand at its lowest level in 10 years.  Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) analysts upwardly revised their projections for future global demand and warned of a “likely return to energy shortages” in 2010.  As gas prices have skyrocketed about 50 cents above last month’s levels, consumers are facing pressures at the pumps that threaten to hinder some of next year’s anticipated growth in the economy.

Economically Speaking

It looks like fixed-income traders are not the only ones concerned about the expanding debt position in this country.  U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke warned that the government “can’t borrow indefinitely” and politicos need to take crucial steps to reduce a budget deficit that is rapidly approaching $2 trillion.   Bernanke again confirmed his belief that the economy will move beyond recession by late 2009, though he also warned that the weak jobs market (among other conditions) will restrict future expansion.

Speaking of labor, the unemployment data highlighted the week’s releases and the jobless rate surged to 9.4%, a new 25-year high, as 345,000 nonfarm jobs were lost from the economy.  However, even bad news becomes good news these days as economists had predicted a far more substantial loss (525,000 jobs), and the May decline was the smallest since October 2008.  Still, more than six million folks have seen their jobs disappear since the recession began in December 2007 and May represents the seventeenth consecutive month of labor contraction.

In other news, the manufacturing sector appears to be on the verge of recovery (though ever-so-slightly) as the ISM index reported its best showing since September 2008.  On the housing front, construction spending jumped for the second straight month and pending home sales experienced its biggest increase in eight years.  Personal income surprisingly rose in April, a positive sign for future consumer activity.  Though retailers reported weaker-than-expected same-store sales for May, analysts were quick to point out that Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is no longer participating in these reports, a decision that should skew the numbers lower because the world’s largest retailer accounts for about 10% of total retail sales.  Luxury chains and department stores were among the worst performers last month, while The Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) benefited from a nice increase in activity at its Old Navy chain.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner ventured over to China during the week where he praised it leaders for past stimulus measures (a tad different tact than used by his predecessor).  Recently, China has complained about the ballooning U.S. debt and analysts remain worried about its continued participation in our Treasury auctions.  The domestic powers-that-be have long criticized China about unfair trade practices and currency issues.

While the respective leaders have reservations about each other’s policies, Geithner’s remarks may be seen as smoothing over relations as our combined efforts will be imperative to securing an effective and long-lasting global recovery.

Weekly Economic Calendar

Source: History Hints that Current Stock Market Rally May Be the Leading Edge of a New Bull Market

In February 1995, the U.S. economy was in great shape. The 1990-92 recession had been over for a couple of years, the Federal Reserve was beginning to ease interest rates, the Clinton administration was beginning to make progress on sorting out the United States’ modest long-term budget problem and there was this new thing called the Internet that looked as though it might bring some exciting new possibilities.

The stock market, too, was strong, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average broke through the 4,000-point level on Feb. 23, 1995, putting it almost 50% above the bull-market high of September 1987.

That level of 4,000 is equivalent to about 7,800 today, when you inflate it by the growth in nominal gross domestic product (GDP) in the intervening 14 years. In other words, if things were looking as good as they were in February 1995, and the market was moderately bullish as it was then, you’d expect the Dow to be around 7,800.

The Dow surged 2.85% yesterday (Monday), to close at 8,504. But the economic conditions we’re looking at today are nowhere near as strong as they were back in the spring of 1995. And that paints a somewhat bleak picture of where the U.S. stock market may be headed.

To get the ultimate doom-laden view, I talked last week with Robert Prechter, who for 30 years has run an investment company based on the Elliott Wave Theory, propounded in 1948 by Ralph Nelson Elliott. I’d wanted to meet Prechter ever since I had seen ads he ran in Barron’s back in the bear market days of 1981-82. The Dow was around 800 at that time, and he forecasted that the U.S. stock market was about to enter a huge uptrend, which might last as long as 20 years, and for which 3,000 on the Dow was only the first stage.

“Boy, he’s bullish,” I remember thinking – it was considered bold at that stage to forecast a Dow of 1,200, which would have been 15% above the index’s all-time peak set in 1972.

But Prechter was right.

He was also right in 1987, when he predicted the sharp bull market of that year would end, but that the pullback would be only a temporary problem before the market went on to greater things.

In the late 1990s, Prechter turned bearish, explaining that the “fifth wave” of an Elliott Wave cycle – and therefore the bull market – was coming to an end. He was a few years early, but by following his advice after about 1998 you would have avoided a decade in which your money made an all-in return of approximately zero.

He was still bearish in 2003 – as was I. In cash terms, we were both wrong and went on being wrong for the next four years, as the Dow zoomed from 8,000 to around 14,000. Of course, as he pointed out to me last week, if you accounted in gold, stocks had in fact declined somewhat between 2003 and 2007. It’s not the Elliott Wave system’s fault that the denominator in the equation – the U.S. dollar – fell out of bed through excessive money printing.

Prechter even managed to call this year’s March bottom, expecting a substantial bear market rally at around 6,300 on the Dow, close to the bottom. However, he expects the market to resume its downward trend shortly, ending with a decline similar to the 86% in real terms of 1929-32 as we are in a long Elliott Wave downswing. That would take the Dow down to around 2,000.

Personally, I would not go that far. This does not look like a reprise of the Great Depression, although it could still turn into one with enough policy mistakes – another “stimulus plan,” or a big dose of protectionism, for example. However, the downward macroeconomic momentum looks bigger than in either 1974 or 1982, bear markets that both brought real-term drops of slightly more than 50% from previous highs.

The current crisis more closely resembles the British crisis of 1972-75, which caused a drop of 72% from the high, or the Japanese crisis after 1990, which brought a drop of 70% within three years, and led to a long-term bear market that has left that market in its current doldrums, about 80% below its peak. For us to see a similar 70% decline from the Dow high, we’d have to be looking at an index that had fallen all the way down to about 4,400. At that point, it would about as cheap as after the 1987 crash, though still not as cheap as it was in 1982, before the great bull market began.

Bulls will respond that corporate earnings are still above the levels appropriate for a 4,400 Dow, to which I would respond that profits might have further to fall. So far, we have seen only a collapse of financial sector earnings, while non-financial earnings remain close to their 2007 highs, when GDP was also at record highs. A period of higher corporate taxes and slow growth – coupled with consumer spending that’s low because U.S. consumers need to save, rebuild their asset base, and pay down their debts – could well cause a further period of earnings deflation, which would return corporate profits to their historical average percentage of GDP – if not to an even lower point.

Where Prechter and I differ is on inflation. He sees a further collapse of asset prices and debt values, with consumer debt and commercial real estate wreaking more havoc on bank balance sheets. That could cause massive price deflation, and a decline – rather than an increase – in the price of gold.

Personally, I look at the over-expansive monetary policy pursued by the Fed for a decade now, and its continuance, and see inflation ahead. Inflation would also help Uncle Sam finance those deficits, so it seems more likely than not.

That difference in opinion aside, Prechter was both charming and fascinating. Maybe we can combine our views, and agree that the deflation will be of the dollar’s value, so that prices will inflate in dollar terms, but deflate in such other hard currencies as the euro, the renminbi (China’s yuan), or the Brazilian real. We shall see.

The bottom line: While the market could go up a little further in the short term, it’s not the time to get aggressive.

[Editor's Note: When Slate magazine recently set out to identify the stock-market guru who most correctly predicted the stock-market decline that accompanied the current financial crisis, the respected online publication concluded it was Martin Hutchinson, a veteran international investment banker who is one of Money Morning's top forecasters.

It was no surprise to our readers: After all, Hutchinson warned investors about the evils of credit default swaps six months before the complex derivatives did in insurer American International Group Inc. Then, last fall, Hutchinson "called" the market bottom.

Now Hutchinson has developed a strategy for investors to invest their way to "Permanent Wealth" using high-yielding dividend stocks. This strategy is tailor-made for an unpredictable stock market that's backdropped by an uncertain economy. Just click here to find out about this strategy - or Hutchinson's new service, The Permeanent Wealth Invesor.]

Source: Elliott Wave Disciple Robert Prechter Sees a Possible 2,000 Dow

The dollar and yen rose as worries persisted about global economic prospects despite a batch of better-than-expected U.S. economic data, prompting investors to seek shelter in the two safe-haven currencies.

Gold climbed to a six-week high after data showed U.S. core inflation rose more than expected in April, boosting the precious metal’s appeal as a hedge against rising prices.

Oil fell toward $56 a barrel, pressured by weak global demand and a stronger dollar.

Europe sank to what may have been the recession’s low point in the first quarter of this year as tumbling German exports and investment plus further sharp drops in output elsewhere hastened the pace of a year-old contraction.

Official GDP estimates showed the period was the worst since records at the European level began in 1995.

“Overall risk appetite is still down because of the bad numbers from Europe,” said Matthew Strauss, senior currency strategist at RBC Capital, in Toronto.

European shares closed higher, with gains for most banks outweighing losses for defensive plays such as telecoms.

But U.S. stocks turned lower after earlier gains due to the expiration of option contracts and a fresh assessment of a jobs report on Thursday that was worse than expected, said Rick Meckler, president of LibertyView Capital Management in New York.

“Yesterday’s rally, given the news, caught people off guard and left the market in a place where no one’s quite sure of the next direction,” Meckler said.

“With the weekend coming up and the potential for weekend news, some people are taking some money off the table,” he said.

Shortly after 1:30 p.m., the Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> fell 46.43 points, or 0.56 percent, to 8,284.89. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index <.SPX> shed 8.77 points, or 0.98 percent, to 884.30. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> slipped 4.02 points, or 0.24 percent, to 1,685.19.

The FTSEurofirst 300 <.FTEU3> index of top European shares rose 0.5 percent to close at 839.94 points. Over the week, the index fell 3.1 percent, but is up 30 percent from a lifetime low on March 9.

But analysts were skeptical about when, and how strongly, an economic recovery will come through.

“We’ve had a spectacular rally,” said Philip Lawlor, chief portfolio strategist at Nomura. “Risk appetite has rebuilt. The question is about more green shoots.

“I don’t think the data is actually going to turn positive for another six or nine months,” he said.

U.S. and euro-zone government debt slipped after U.S. industry and consumer sentiment reports bolstered hopes the economy might soon start to recover.

U.S. industrial production fell 0.5 percent in April, a more modest pace than in recent months and less than the 0.6 percent economists had expected.

The data dimmed the allure of safe-haven investments such as U.S. Treasuries. Separate reports showing improved national consumer sentiment and a slower rate of contraction in New York state manufacturing this month also trimmed flight-to- safety bids.

The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note fell 16/32 in price to yield 3.16 percent. The 2-year U.S. Treasury note fell 1/32 in price to yield 0.87 percent.

In Europe, June Bund futures fell 53 ticks on the day to 121.17, well off a one-week high of 122.07 set earlier in the session.

The dollar rose against a basket of major currencies, with the U.S. Dollar Index <.DXY> up 0.41 percent at 82.777.

The euro fell 0.80 percent at $1.3524. Against the yen, the dollar was down 1.04 percent at 94.87.

U.S. light sweet crude oil fell $2.06 to $56.56 a barrel.

Spot gold prices rose $4.70 to $930.05 an ounce.

Asian stocks rose as investors bought shares that stand to benefit from an expected global recovery. MSCI’s index of Asia Pacific stocks outside Japan rose 1.7 percent, while Japan’s Nikkei share average <.N225> added 1.9 percent,

May 15 (Reuters)

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 26.2 points, or 0.32% as of 11:00 a.m. today (Thursday), while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index was up 4.58 points, or 0.52%.

The surge was prompted by an increase in U.S. wholesale prices, which allayed concern over deflation. Producer prices rose 0.3% in April after falling 1.2% in March. Food prices posted the biggest gain, soaring 1.5% – enough to offset a 0.1% fall in energy prices. Excluding food and fuel prices, so-called core-prices climbed 0.1%.

The rise in producer prices accompanied an increase in import prices, which climbed 1.6% in April, the government said yesterday. Producer prices and the cost of imports comprise two of the three major gauges of inflation. The third measure of inflation, consumer prices, is scheduled for release tomorrow.

The rise in U.S. equities was further supported by a solid earnings report from Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer. Wal-Mart posted a profit of $3 billion, or 77 cents a share, in the quarter ended April 30, up from 76 cents a year earlier, matching analysts’ forecasts, according to Thomson Reuters.

Net sales for the quarter fell 0.6% to $93.4 billion, but the company blamed that decline on the negative impact of a stronger dollar, which dented international sales. Wal-Mart’s international operating income fell 16.2% to $880 million on an 11.1% drop in sales to $21.3 billion.

However, international operating income at constant exchange rates was $1.13 billion in the three months ended April 30 on sales of $26.1 billion.

“In almost every country we grew the top line faster than the market despite the strong dollar and a recession that is even deeper in some countries than it is in the United States,” said chief executive Mike Duke.

Wal-Mart’s resilience offered a modicum of comfort to the retail sector after a report yesterday showed retail sales fell 0.4% in April, the eighth monthly decline in the last 10 months. Retail sales tumbled 1.3% in March.

Retail sales have been badly battered by a sharp rise in unemployment. And data from the Labor Department today furthered illustrated the frailty of the current labor market.

Initial claims for unemployment rose by 32,000 to 637,000 in the week ended May 9, from a revised 605,000 the week prior, the Labor Department said.

The economy has shed about 5.7 million jobs since the recession began in December 2007. Payrolls fell by 539,000 in April, as the jobless rate climbed to 8.9% – its highest level since 1983.

Source: Producer Prices and Wal-Mart Results Give the Market Edge Over Weak Jobs Data