In the short run, I expect inflation expectations to rise. After all, that is the Fed's goal. And that makes this a great trade... Read More

In the short run, I expect inflation expectations to rise. After all, that is the Fed's goal. And that makes this a great trade... Read More

With gold prices at record highs and spending on the rise, I think it’s only a matter of time before the quality junior miners gain even more steam. Read More

With gold prices at record highs and spending on the rise, I think it’s only a matter of time before the quality junior miners gain even more steam. Read More

If you haven't looked into gold miners yet, there's still time. Read More

If you haven't looked into gold miners yet, there's still time. Read More

An interview with one of the nation's foremost experts on energy and utilities. We also talk about Covid-19, personal finance, and more... Read More

An interview with one of the nation's foremost experts on energy and utilities. We also talk about Covid-19, personal finance, and more... Read More

You can definitely make a killing with gold miners, but they do have their drawbacks... That's why this unique type of company may be a better option for investors... Read More

You can definitely make a killing with gold miners, but they do have their drawbacks... That's why this unique type of company may be a better option for investors... Read More

Do I think this stock can eventually recoup these losses? Yes. But that’s not the right question. The better question is whether this cash could be better deployed elsewhere... Read More

Do I think this stock can eventually recoup these losses? Yes. But that’s not the right question. The better question is whether this cash could be better deployed elsewhere... Read More

Any business can crank out hefty profits when conditions are favorable. The true test is how well it performs when the operating climate cools. As a group, energy stocks underperformed during the bull market. That’s no secret, given the persistent weakness in oil prices. The price of benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTIC) crude was once above $100 per barrel in 2014. After falling to the low $30s by 2016, prices have since only recovered to the mid-$60s. You can see how this affected stocks in the sector, as represented by the SPDR Energy Select Sector ETF (NYSE: XLE),… Read More

Any business can crank out hefty profits when conditions are favorable. The true test is how well it performs when the operating climate cools. As a group, energy stocks underperformed during the bull market. That’s no secret, given the persistent weakness in oil prices. The price of benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTIC) crude was once above $100 per barrel in 2014. After falling to the low $30s by 2016, prices have since only recovered to the mid-$60s. You can see how this affected stocks in the sector, as represented by the SPDR Energy Select Sector ETF (NYSE: XLE), on the chart below. This is exactly what makes a company like Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX) so special. We’re up more than 54% (with dividends reinvested) on the holding over at The Daily Paycheck. That not only blows the sector out of the water, but also the entire market. ​ We just got a glimpse of the kind of operating expertise necessary to pull that kind of performance off – and why I think it’s still a “buy” today.   Inside The Numbers The company's core refining margins slipped to $11.18 per barrel… Read More

It’s one of the biggest deals in the oil business in years. The question, of course, is whether shareholders will be happy with the end result.  The good news: now that the deal is consummated, we’re about to find out. I’m talking, of course, about Occidental Petroleum’s (NYSE: OXY) recent acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum. The Case For OXY For those who may have missed the news, Occidental finalized its acquisition of Anadarko on August 8th.  I covered the protracted bidding war between Occidental and Chevron in this piece back in May. In it, I discussed Warren Buffett’s financing arrangement with… Read More

It’s one of the biggest deals in the oil business in years. The question, of course, is whether shareholders will be happy with the end result.  The good news: now that the deal is consummated, we’re about to find out. I’m talking, of course, about Occidental Petroleum’s (NYSE: OXY) recent acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum. The Case For OXY For those who may have missed the news, Occidental finalized its acquisition of Anadarko on August 8th.  I covered the protracted bidding war between Occidental and Chevron in this piece back in May. In it, I discussed Warren Buffett’s financing arrangement with Occidental, which helped sweeten the pot and seal the deal. Here’s what I said about the arrangement: Occidental, one of the portfolio holdings in my High-Yield Investing premium newsletter, has since come forward with an offer of $76 per share, or $38 billion. That’s not only more generous than Chevron’s $65 bid, but it also has a higher cash component (50% versus 25%). While Anadarko has rebuffed previous advances from Occidental, in part because of concerns that OXY shareholders might balk, it has no choice but to seriously consider this offer. So how does Warren Buffett fit in? Well,… Read More

Believe it or not, but the first battery came about from the dissection of a frog. In 1780, Luigi Galvani was dissecting a frog affixed to a brass hook. When he touched the frog’s leg with his iron scalpel, the leg twitched. Galvani believed the energy stemmed from the frog and called it “animal electricity.” His friend and physicist Alessandro Volta thought differently. Volta thought the animal electricity was actually a result of two different metals joined together. Volta was right. After much experimentation, he invented the first true battery around 1800, called the Voltaic Pile. The voltaic pile consisted… Read More

Believe it or not, but the first battery came about from the dissection of a frog. In 1780, Luigi Galvani was dissecting a frog affixed to a brass hook. When he touched the frog’s leg with his iron scalpel, the leg twitched. Galvani believed the energy stemmed from the frog and called it “animal electricity.” His friend and physicist Alessandro Volta thought differently. Volta thought the animal electricity was actually a result of two different metals joined together. Volta was right. After much experimentation, he invented the first true battery around 1800, called the Voltaic Pile. The voltaic pile consisted of pairs of copper and zinc discs piled on top of each other, separated by a layer of cloth or cardboard soaked in brine. The device pile produced a continuous stream of electricity, albeit only an hour’s worth at best. Still, it was a major leap forward that launched a rapid evolution in batteries.  Today, alkaline batteries are what you’ll usually find when you purchase a pack of AA or AAA batteries. Alkaline batteries are still in high demand, but there’s been a major shift towards lithium. In fact, we have good reason to believe that lithium batteries are the… Read More

Not so fast, Chevron. Last month, Chevron (NYSE: CVX) unveiled plans to acquire Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC) for $33 billion in cash and stock. Anadarko execs signed on the dotted line, agreeing to a $1 billion breakup fee should the deal be scuttled for any reason. That was a mistake, particularly knowing there was another interested suitor. A few days ago, a Gulfstream corporate jet owned by Occidental Petroleum (NYSE: OXY) touched down in Omaha, Nebraska, home of Warren Buffett. It could have been a mere coincidence — but it wasn’t. Behind the scenes, Buffett was orchestrating a financial package… Read More

Not so fast, Chevron. Last month, Chevron (NYSE: CVX) unveiled plans to acquire Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC) for $33 billion in cash and stock. Anadarko execs signed on the dotted line, agreeing to a $1 billion breakup fee should the deal be scuttled for any reason. That was a mistake, particularly knowing there was another interested suitor. A few days ago, a Gulfstream corporate jet owned by Occidental Petroleum (NYSE: OXY) touched down in Omaha, Nebraska, home of Warren Buffett. It could have been a mere coincidence — but it wasn’t. Behind the scenes, Buffett was orchestrating a financial package to help Occidental outbid Chevron for Anadarko. Occidental, one of the portfolio holdings in my High-Yield Investing premium newsletter, has since come forward with an offer of $76 per share, or $38 billion. That’s not only more generous than Chevron’s $65 bid, but it also has a higher cash component (50% versus 25%). While Anadarko has rebuffed previous advances from Occidental, in part because of concerns that OXY shareholders might balk, it has no choice but to seriously consider this offer. So how does Warren Buffett fit in? Well, Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A) has agreed to bankroll $10 billion toward the cost. Read More