Source: Investment News Briefs Friday, September 4, 2009

Oil prices continue to hover around $70 a barrel, and gold is in the mid-$900 range. Meanwhile the CRB Continuous Commodity Price Index has surged to a level 30% above its March low.

Finally, copper, supposedly a barometer of the global economy, went above $6,000 per metric ton – up more than 96% this year.

And while prices for most commodities are still well below last year’s peaks, the price spike is more dangerous than it looks.

Normally, commodities prices zoom at the top of a global inflationary boom, as in 1973, 1980, or last summer. This time, the surge is happening at the bottom of a recession. If it continues, the commodities price resurgence could cut off global recovery before it really gets going.

Commodities prices usually take off at the top of a normal business cycle, as inflation is accelerating. The price rise then causes commodity consumers to feel poorer. This reduces demand and brings on a recession. Then, new production capacity comes on stream after demand has fallen back, causing prices to remain depressed for several years.

That’s what happened in 1973, with the first Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) oil price rise, and again in 1980, with the second. After 1980, we didn’t see a real commodities price surge until the middle 2000s. That’s because the tech revolution caused consumer demand to move to things like computer chips that used fewer raw materials than traditional products.

Last summer, we had a similar price peak. Given the depth of the current recession, you’d expect commodities prices to stay low for several years, as new production capacity comes on stream. But that hasn’t happened. Instead, prices have rebounded sharply.

There are three possible reasons for this year’s surge.

First, it could be the result of very low interest rates and loose monetary policy. In that case, it will soon lead to a rise in general inflation.

It could also be due to the worldwide fiscal stimulus – in the United States, China, the United Kingdom, India and most other economies. Much of the stimulus - particularly in China – consists of infrastructure spending. Infrastructure development requires lots of steel, copper, cement and other commodities. If that’s the case, the resulting budget deficits are likely to cause bond market problems. That would restrict the supply of funding for capital investment and other private sector needs.

Finally, the surge in commodities prices could be due to continued rapid growth in India and China. The 2.4 billion citizens of those countries, as they get richer, are demanding more goods that require a lot of commodities to produce, like automobiles.

Thus, when India and China grow faster than the rich West, we can expect commodities demand to surge more than global gross domestic product (GDP). If this is the cause, rapid commodities demand will lead to a rise in general inflation and spot commodities prices that will accompany shortages and price spikes. That would have a deflationary effect on output.

We saw this effect in 2008’s third quarter, when real U.S. GDP dropped 2.7%. That drop must have been the effect of $147 oil in July, since the financial crisis did not hit home until the very end of that quarter.

It’s impossible to tell which of these three is really causing the current commodities price surge. We can, however, be sure that it will choke off global recovery if it carries on much longer.

That’s a miserable possibility, especially if it means we also get inflation and higher interest rates. However, as investors we can make some money from the commodities surge.

Here are some ideas:

Powershares DB Base Metals Fund (NYSE: DBB): This exchange-traded fund (ETF) tracks the Deutsche Bank AG (DB) base metals index, allowing you to invest directly in the price movements of non-precious metals. With a market capitalization of $308 million, it is reasonably liquid. Plus, a lot of money has been flowing into it recently.

Vale S.A. (NYSE ADR:VALE): Vale is the world’s largest iron ore producer and a key supplier to China’s exuberant infrastructure growth. Historical P/E of less than 10; will benefit hugely from price run-ups in steel.

iShares Silver Trust (NYSE: SLV): This ETF Invests directly in silver bullion, which has been left behind somewhat in its relationship to gold’s price rise and can be expected to move up as gold does, possibly by a much greater percentage.

Market vectors Gold Miners (NYSE: GDX): Gold miners benefit disproportionately from a rise in the gold price because their production costs are fixed. They are thus a more leveraged way to play it than the metal itself, particularly as surging speculative demand can increase mining companies’ price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios.

Four Ways to Profit From Resurgent Commodities Prices

But given the economy’s strong performance following the financial meltdown that crushed economies the world over, it looks like Brazil’s time is now.

Brazil’s gross domestic product (GDP) contracted 0.8% year-over-year in the first quarter and 0.8% from the fourth quarter. That beat analysts’ expectations but wasn’t enough to keep the country from sliding into its first recession since 2003. However, the economy is already showing signs of recovery and many economists believe Brazil is already on the rebound and poised for a strong second half.

Brazil’s GDP likely grew 2.2% in the second quarter compared with the previous quarter, according to a report by Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC).

Nelson Barbosa, Brazil’s economic policies minister, optimistically told the Rio de Janeiro-based O Globo newspaper that Brazil’s economy will grow by 4-5% this year.

That kind of optimism in July helped Brazil’s benchmark Bovespa stock index book its best monthly gain since 1998.  The index jumped 2.3% to 55,997.81 – its highest level in 11 months. It’s up about 50% this year, outpacing even the red-hot MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 Index are up just 5.8% and 11% respectively.

Analysts that were skeptical of Brazil’s economic growth in the heady years leading up to the financial crisis pointed to the country’s supposed reliance on high commodities prices and exports.

No doubt, the country benefited a great deal from the commodities boom that drove up prices for Brazilian exports like iron ore, steel, and soybeans. But in eviscerating commodities prices and ravaging the market for exports, the financial crisis demonstrated that Brazil is more than a one-trick pony.

Sublime political stewardship leading up to and during the crisis kept Brazil’s economy well intact when global economy seemed to be falling apart. Stringent financial regulation shielded Brazil from the worst of the financial crisis, while government tax cuts and a growing middle class buoyed the country’s economy as exports dried up.

Back to the Future: Brazil’s Troubled Past Preserves its Present

Indeed, the very financial crises that had Brazilians believing their country would never find its place among the world’s elite economies endowed the nation’s policymakers with a streak of caution as they entered the 21st century.

“We are used to dealing with challenging environments, for our institutions and our regulations,” Alexandre Tombini, director for regulation at Brazil’s central bank, told the Financial Times. “Everything we have done since the mid-1990s has tended to take a more cautious approach.”

For instance, banks in Brazil are required to keep capital reserves that equate to at least 11% of their total assets. That’s high by most international standards, but many banks maintain capital ratios of 16% or more.

Banks are also required to keep 30% of all deposits at the central bank. That makes borrowing more expensive, but it also made it possible for Brazil’s central bank to dole out $51.4 billion (100 billion reals) overnight to ensure banks were adequately funded.

Brazil’s high interest rates are another reminder of the hyperinflation that overwhelmed the economy in the 1990s. But those rates also kept lenders from getting carried away, and now that the crisis has subsided, inflation has been crushed and rates are plunging.

Brazil’s official IPCA consumer price index advanced 0.24% in July after posting a 0.36% gain in June, according to the Brazilian Census Bureau (IBGE). The rolling 12-month rate sank to 4.5%, down from 4.8% in the 12 months through June.

Brazil’s central bank has lowered its primary interest rate, the Selic-base rate, six times this year, with the most recent a 0.5% cut after the bank’s July 21-22 meeting. The benchmark rate currently stands at a record low of 8.75%.

With inflation subdued, most analysts believe the rate will be kept at its historically low level until at least 2010.

“With inflation under control, I believe it will permit the Selic to be maintained at this low level until at least the middle of 2010.”Alex Agostini, chief economist at local ratings agency Austin, told The Wall Street Journal. “I don’t seen any inflationary pressures on the radar. The inflation scenario is so well behaved that it could give the central bank room to make another rate cut at the next meeting, even though the signals coming from the central bank have indicated there will be a pause.”

And while U.S. regulators are only now looking into the inconsistencies and manipulations wrought by irresponsible futures trading, Brazil has long held the reins tight on such activity. Short selling – selling shares you do not own – is allowed, but naked short selling – selling shares that you don’t have – is kept under wraps by fines for traders who can’t to deliver shares they have sold within three days.

Additionally, brokers in Brazil are obligated to provide information by every client. That means a Ponzi scheme like the one orchestrated by Bernie Madoff would never have worked in Brazil.

Retail Remains Resilient

Just as Brazil’s regulators have taken their cues from past mistakes, Brazil’s growing middle class – which now encompasses more than half the country’s population – has been hardened by tough times and proven resilient throughout the current crisis.

May retail sales advanced at an annual pace of 4% and June sales are expected to have increased by 6.5% year-over-year. Furthermore, an IBGE survey showed that nine out of 10 retail sectors showed month-on-month sales increases.

“Brazil has had so many crises over the years, people got used to them,” David Neeleman, the founder of JetBlue (Nasdaq: JBLU), who last December started a low-cost Brazilian airline called Azul told BusinessWeek. “I don’t think they’re at all fazed by this crisis-everyone seems to be focused on buying their first car, getting their first credit card.”

Credit card purchases have grown by 22% a year over the past decade, BusinessWeek reported.

However, Brazilian consumers also got a helping hand from the government, which cut income taxes and reduced levies on a wide range of durable goods.

In April, the government cut taxes on construction materials, cars, and household appliances. The end result was a 5.7% rise in spending on construction materials in May and an 8% surge in auto sales.  Rejuvenated auto sales hit a record-high 300,000 in June.

And increased sales led to increased production. Industrial output rose for the six straight month in June, climbing 0.2% on a monthly basis.

“Brazil has proved it can govern itself and keep the economy on track in very difficult times,” Riordan Roett, a professor at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, told BusinessWeek.

Buying Into Brazil

Brazil has also proven that it has a strong consumer base of its own ready and able to fuel economic growth, even as exports falter. In fact, exports account for a mere 12% of Brazil’s $1.5 trillion economy.

From 2001 to 2007, the poorest 10% of the population enjoyed a 49% increase in real income, Brazilian economist Marcelo Neri told the Miami Herald, describing what he called “Chinese-like growth.”

Roughly 27.8 million Brazilians – out of a population of nearly 200 million – joined the consumer economy from October 2003 to October 2008, according to Neri.

About  8 million jobs have been created in that time, while the minimum wage has increased 45%

That makes Brazil a very attractive destination for investment.

In an April Buy/Sell/Hold column, Money Morning contributing editor and emerging markets specialist, Horacio Marquez, recommended Petroleo Brasileiro (NYSE ADR: PBR) for several reasons – the rising prices of oil in the next few years, the discoveries of large oil fields off Brazil’s shore, and increase local demand from the country’s growing population and income levels.

Another commodity play is Vale S.A. (NYSE ADR: VALE), the world’s largest iron ore exporter and a key supplier to China’s exuberant infrastructure expansion. Vale will benefit not only from increase in demand when global economies (and trade with them) recover, but also the rebound of commodity prices across the board.

Martin Hutchinson, another Money Morning contributor, recommends Companhia de Saneamento Basico, orSabesp (ADR: SBS), which operates the water-and-sewage system for Brazil’s Sao Paulo region. Sabesp currently has a P/E ratio of 6.92.

“Now that’s a growth business, and one that’s not dependent on commodity prices,” he said.

Finally, the iShares MSCI Brazil Index ETF (NYSE: EWZ) has been recommended by both Marquez and Hutchinson. The ETF aims to measure the performance of the Brazilian equity market. It has net assets of $8.58 billion, a Price/Earnings (P/E) ratio of 12.75, and a dividend yield of 3.66%.

Source: With One of the Hottest Economies on the Planet Brazil is Finally Living Up to Its Promise

Silver didn’t do much through Hong Kong, but started a roller coaster ride in London that lasted through the Globex only to end the day little changed at $12.82/oz., down 3 cents. Overnight, silver is trending lower. (Click here for charts)

“Summer inertia” has hit gold-market speculators according to Edel Tully at London dealers Mitsui.

“We believe [the Gold Futures] market remains overly long and further liquidation desires remain in the wings. Until this passes, gold does not have another internal driver to force it northbound,” wrote Tully.

Official data seems to support Tully’s belief. The ‘net long’ position held by hedge funds and other speculative players in U.S. gold futures and options has shrunk by almost 20% from early June’s 11-month high.

But don’t expect the waning demand for gold to last too long.

“In the near term, day to day moves continue to be influenced by the direction the dollar takes,” Lin Haoxiang, analyst at Guotai Junan Securities, said from Shanghai yesterday. “In the longer term, inflationary expectations remain.”

In company specific news, Brazilian mining giant Vale has signed an agreement which could see it take a 60% stake in Australian gold junior Intrepid Mines.

In a statement, Intrepid welcomed the signing of the Heads of Agreement (HOA) with Vale Exploration (NYSE:VALE), giving the company an option to acquire rights in Intrepid’s Tujuh Bukit project in east Java.

“Under the terms of the HOA, Vale could earn a 60% shareholding in a joint venture company holding the rights to the Tujuh Bukit project by, amongst other terms, spending a total of $US40 million ($A51.05 million),” Intrepid said.

Intrepid shares were up nearly 13%, to 30.5 cents on the news.

Source: ‘Summer Inertia’ Hits Gold

We have been raking in huge profits in all our cyclical and aggressive plays since we called the turnaround in Brazil last October 27:  Petroleo Brasileiro (NYSE: PBR) — known as Petrobras – Vale (NYSE: VALE), Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL), BHP Billiton Ltd. (NYSE: BHP), Research in Motion Ltd. (Nasdaq: RIMM), IBM (NYSE: IBM), Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN),  Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. (NYSE: DO), and Ciena Corp. (Nasdaq: CIEN) have all done splendid.

And over the longer term, all of these companies are going to continue delivering, with some obvious profit-taking bouts along the way.

One of such profit-taking episode could be starting right now.  And it could be driven by Standard & Poor’s recent downgrade of United Kingdom’s sovereign debt rating.  This was in turn followed by the comments coming out from PIMCO that suggest the United States’ debt rating could be in jeopardy.  Even though S&P minimized that possibility, when Bill Gross speaks, the bond markets listen.

General Mills met earnings expectations in March and raised its earnings outlook.  It has been benefiting from the drop in commodities prices, especially agricultural. In addition, the firm, like many in the consumer business, has suffered from a strong U.S. Dollar, which reduced the value of the profits abroad.  The nice thing about consumer staples is that, since people have to eat in good and bad times, these companies are not cyclicals, but rather suffer very little in downturns.

That has been the case for General Mills, which in the last report showed a 4% sales increase from the same quarter in the prior year.  And this sales increase was achieved despite a 6% drop in the sales of food service and bakery products, where the firm nonetheless managed to increase pricing.  But this sector is being de-emphasized with some divestment.

Just think about the solid brands that allow General Mills to dependably keep chugging along every quarter, increasing sales as the population grows. General Mills also boasts well established and new brands that keep increasing its market penetration around the world.   Since then, the dollar has corrected in value and the commodities prices have dropped. That will show up in next month’s earnings report and the stock should perform nicely.

The company is dominant with its Pillsbury brand, which has more than two-thirds of the market.  Cheerios, which has come under some scrutiny for health claims by the FDA, is the top cereal franchise in the ready-to-eat segment.  In addition, we are going to see hundreds of new products being launched soon.

The global story is only beginning for this company, even though they are already in China, and many other fast-growing emerging markets.  This international presence, which right now accounts for only 20% of the company’s total sales, is likely to grow much faster in the near future.  This will be achieved with joint ventures and by leveraging the brands that have the highest international penetration, like Nature valley and Haagen Dazs.

The stock is trading with a price-earnings ratio of only 16 times and an attractive dividend yield of 3.3%. But looking at the company’s growth, it is trading at only 13 times future earnings.  This is a low-risk proposition, as both the company earnings and the dividend appear to be very safe. In addition, the stock has a small short ratio that should diminish if we see profit-taking in the cyclical.

Last but not least, in addition to the short-term technical turning bullish at the end of April, as the stock crossed its 13-day and 50-day exponential averages to the upside, the long-term technicals have also turned bullish and the stock is still way oversold.

Recommendation: Buy General Mills Inc. (GIS) at the market and accumulate more if you see weakness (**).

(**) – Special Note of Disclosure: Horacio Marquez holds no interest General Mills Inc.

Source: Buy, Sell or Hold: General Mills Inc. (NYSE: GIS) is a Wholesome Company with Profit Coming Down the Pipeline