Pre-pandemic profits on Sinovac (AMEX:SVA) Vical Incorporated (NASDAQ:VICL), and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (NYSE:RDY)?

The unexpected absence of the Chinese fencing coach can only be due to one thing: Sinuvac’s (AMEX:SVA) reported a breakthrough with their new anti- H1N1 swine flu vaccine!

In June, the World Health Organization (WHO) alerted the public that a worldwide pandemic of swine flu (H1N1) was sweeping the globe.  Health officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have stated that the swine flu virus could infect up to 40% of Americans over the next couple of years.  At last count, the CDC said there are 43,771 swine flu cases that have been reported in America, and 302 deaths have been associated with the disease.

These facts are not subject to dispute. And they could earn you as much as 236% gains.  For the better part of the past year, you have been hearing stories about the H1N1 influenza virus, a.k.a. swine flu. For a while those reports included enough dramatic sudden deaths to qualify as “front-page news.”

Microsoft’s Bing Off to Strong Start; U.S. Natural Gas Reserves Higher Than Once Thought; Carnival Cruise Lines Beats the Street; Treasuries Fall Again; GE Capital May Come Under Fed Scrutiny; Mexico’s Tourism Plummets on Swine Flu Scare; Discover Profits Down

Make more than 300% when the world wakes up sick come winter.   There is a myth in this biz that “if it bleeds, it leads.” The idea is that what truly makes mainstream media moguls happy is guts, gore and conflict. Drama sells, and sells well. Death, war and sex sell even better.

Stocks break-even for 2009… 2 charts detail the strange path to “profitability”… Chris Mayer on Buffett, Berkshire and the latest shareholder’s meeting…Dan Amoss with a sector begging to be shorted…Our in-house bankruptcy adviser on the fate of Chrysler…Plus, a rare Overtime Briefing… investing in the “swine flu”

Even with the hype of a possible flu pandemic, the markets managed to remain positive through the week. Mexico will take the lead as we make the next critical move next week.

The 31st bank is closed in 2009… China is showing signs of improvement…  The so-called “decoupling” taking place?
Jobs Jamboree ends the week… And Now… Today’s Pfennig!

Gold was initially lower in Hong Kong but traded flat through to the New York open on Tuesday, at which point it plunged about $13 in a half-hour, before riding a gently rising uptrend for the rest of the day, to finish at $893.30/oz., down $12.90. Overnight, gold is slightly higher.