Just a year after going bust, GM (NYSE: GM) showed it can get its groove back. Its IPO was impressive, with a large increase in the price range as well as the number of shares issued. [Read:… Read More

When it comes to investing in emerging markets, Brazil is often mentioned as one of the most appealing countries. This is for good reason — its population of more than 200 million represents one of the world’s largest markets. Better yet, years of economic… Read More

Everything is pointing toward higher energy prices in the next several years. First, there’s supply and demand. Worldwide demand for energy is increasing. In fact, the Outlook for Energy estimates that global demand for energy will soar +35% from 2005 to 2030. The increase… Read More

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article about India’s vast potential for both economic development and profit for investors. [“Read why I think India’s a better long-term investment than China”] In that article, I mentioned a few of the standard, well-known Indian… Read More

It’s been a tough year for Chinese stocks that trade in the United States. Many of them have sold off — and stayed cheap — even as they sport impressive growth rates and low valuations. Thanks to a sharp drop on Friday on renewed concerns about an overheating economy,… Read More

Back in the late 1990s, there was a raft of books calling for the Dow to reach 30,000 or even 100,000. Looking back on it, it seems crazy. But such things are natural during bull markets. Interestingly enough, book titles can be an indicator that a bubble is about to burst. When it comes to gold, we are starting to see something similar. For example, a recent book called Hard Money makes the bold prediction that gold will eventually hit $10,000 per ounce. It’s inevitable that we will see other titles hit the market soon. Read More

Back in the late 1990s, there was a raft of books calling for the Dow to reach 30,000 or even 100,000. Looking back on it, it seems crazy. But such things are natural during bull markets. Interestingly enough, book titles can be an indicator that a bubble is about to burst. When it comes to gold, we are starting to see something similar. For example, a recent book called Hard Money makes the bold prediction that gold will eventually hit $10,000 per ounce. It’s inevitable that we will see other titles hit the market soon. But in the case of Hard Money, the author is not a crackpot. He actually manages the GBI Gold Fund and is the head of Global Research at the Teacher Retirement System of Texas. He even convinced the pension fund to take a major stake in gold in 2007. #-ad_banner-#True, there are many top-notch analysts who have made bad calls. Not many saw the collapse of 2008, right? But in the case of gold, there are certainly strong arguments why the price can go higher. However, there will need to be some key drivers. Read More

There’s a balance between performance and stability when it comes to stock prices. Equities priced under $5 per share can offer huge percentage returns, but are generally volatile. Stocks priced more than $10 are generally more predictable, but offer a muted upside. In between $5 and $10 though, stocks offer… Read More

A very large grain of salt. That’s what economists suggest you take when digesting Chinese economic numbers. The country’s financial planners tend to massage key numbers to give the impression of an economy that is neither too hot nor too cold. To its credit, China’s decade-long growth spurt has been truly miraculous and policy planners seem to continually pull the right levers, even though those choices are often antithetical to Western economic dogma. Much of China’s success has come from its status as a low-cost provider of goods and comparatively low levels of… Read More

A very large grain of salt. That’s what economists suggest you take when digesting Chinese economic numbers. The country’s financial planners tend to massage key numbers to give the impression of an economy that is neither too hot nor too cold. To its credit, China’s decade-long growth spurt has been truly miraculous and policy planners seem to continually pull the right levers, even though those choices are often antithetical to Western economic dogma. Much of China’s success has come from its status as a low-cost provider of goods and comparatively low levels of per capita GDP, which enabled it to grow without bumping into hurdles that often come when economies achieve world-class status. But those days are over. China’s economy is now far larger — having recently surpassed Japan to occupy the No. 2 spot — and the government ‘s task of managing growth has become ever-more complex. Even as Chinese economic planners will continue to massage the numbers to give the appearance of a smooth-sailing ship, 2011 offers more potential pitfalls than ever. If… Read More

As the Director of Income Research behind High-Yield International, it’s my duty to find the best income investments all over the world. And what I’m finding is that few places can compare to the yields and growth we’re seeing in South America right now.   One country I’ve… Read More

There seems to be no end to the commodities bull-run. The Reuters-Jefferies CRB index, which tracks 19 heavily-traded commodities, posted a nice gain of +4.8% in October. Keep in mind that came after a sizzling +8.5% pop in September. All in all, the gains were broad-based… Read More