It appears that Big Media is finally catching on to President Obama’s alternative-energy ruse, underscoring our ongoing argument that short-term profits in green energy are elusive at best.

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.

BNP Paribas weighs on the euro…  China and Treasuries…  Euro forming a base?  Gold continues its rally… And Now… Today’s Pfennig!

Timothy Geithner, President Barack Obama’s nominee for U.S. treasury secretary, told the Senate that he and the new administration are prepared to take a harder line in economic relations with China.

The world economy is experiencing the severe consequences of decades of monetary abuse, says Russel McDougal. And government stimulus plans, combined with the Fed’s unlimited ability to print fiat money, will just lead us towards an “epic disaster”. 

Obama’s stimulus plan will only end up making a sick patient even sicker, says Jon Herring. But that won’t stop it happening. Jon says infrastructure firms stand to benefit in the short run. But the real long-term winners will be companies that benefit from rising inflation.

International industrial giant ABB Ltd. (ADR:ABB) is set to generate big business as governments around the world implement economic stimulus packages. Horacio Marquez says the company’s bullet-proof balance sheet, strong margins and solid cash flow will mitigate the fallout from the global credit crisis. And its strong long-term prospects make it a great buy today.

Warning that the timing of an economic recovery is “highly uncertain,” Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said yesterday (Tuesday) that an economic stimulus program might not be enough to do the job. Bernanke went on to say that the government might have to buy or guarantee banks’ toxic assets to revive growth.

Obama’s ever-growing stimulus package isn’t giving the markets a boost. Matthew Collins says the Fed’s zero-rate interest policy has created a liquidity trap, in which businesses and consumers prefer to hoard cash than make risky investments. That makes stimulating the economy very difficult, and dampens hopes of an ‘Obama rally’ in the near future.

Barack Obama will soon be US president. And his first act will be to sign a stimulus package worth up $1 trillion into legislation. Andrew Snyder says investors should move now to ensure they get a share. He says the US steel industry is likely to be a major benefactor of the stimulus, and recommends three companies poised to make big gains.