Top Stocks To Buy Now - Gold rallies on dollar pullback, Greece

Top Stocks To Buy Now - SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) ? Gold futures rallied Thursday, boosted by a weaker dollar and expectations that central banks will maintain loose monetary policies for some time.

/quotes/zigman/660065 GCJ2 1,775.00, -11.30, -0.63%

Gold for April delivery GCJ2 ?advanced $16.30, or 0.9%, to $1,788.20 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, trading near session highs.

A day earlier, the metal settled at $1,771.30 an ounce, the highest since mid-November.

Bargain hunters stepped in during the prior session as the metal had eased following disappointment over Chinese data and fading optimism about Greece?s bailout deal.

Open interest, or the number of futures contracts outstanding, has picked up from a month ago ?which helps underpin the technical improvement? of the metal, said George Gero, a vice president with RBC Wealth Management in New York. ?We were looking for ($1,800 an ounce) by June, perhaps we may see if sooner,? he added.

Gold last topped $1,800 an ounce in mid-September after hitting a record $1,891.90 in late August.

Gold?s move! higher Wednesday ?was a reminder, if markets needed it, that central banks are set to remain in accommodative mode for some time to come,? said Michael Hewson, senior market analyst with CMC Markets.

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Top Stocks To Buy Now - Crude oil continues to climb

The price of crude oil has risen about 15% since the start of the year, fuelled by rising tension over Iran and the prospect of improved global growth.

He said the dovish tone from the Bank of England on Wednesday, last week?s stimulus from the Bank of Japan and a new long-term refinancing operation from the European Central Bank next week will increase money supply and underpin gold prices ?for some time to come against most [Group of 10] currencies.?

Top Stocks To Buy Now - Upside targets: $1,800, then $2,000

?The key level on the upside lies at the November highs at $1,801 and if we can push above here, then the record highs last year will come back into view, with the likelihood we could well see levels above $2,000 an ounce within the next 12 months,? said Hewson, in e-mailed comments.

With Fitch Ratings earlier this week lowering Greece?s credit rating, ratings agencies are debating whether to take the same step of further downgrading Greece and rate it as a ?selective default,? analysts at Commerzbank said in a note to clients.

Greek lawmakers also need to ?swiftly rubber-stamp? reform measures, while at the same time it isn?t clear how many private bondholders will agree to the country?s agreed haircut, they added.

?The sovereign-debt crisis is thus likely to keep the market on tenterhooks for some time yet, which should benefit gold,? the analysts said. !

Gold futures also got a boost as the dollar fell versus most major rivals.

A weaker dollar is beneficial for gold and other dollar-denominated commodities as it makes them cheaper to holders of other currencies. The dollar index DXY , which compares the U.S. unit to a basket of six currencies, fell to 78.083 from 79.207 on Wednesday.

The euro EURUSD ?gained against the greenback after the Ifo Institute?s gauge of German business confidence rose more than forecast for February, and the shared currency earlier broke through resistance at $1.33 to trade above $1.3340, its highest against the dollar since mid-December. Read more.

Among other metals, copper for March delivery HGH2 ?pared losses, down 2 cents, or 0.5%, to $3.81 a pound.

Silver tracked gold higher, with the March contract SIH2 ?building on earlier gains and rallying $1.20, or 3.5%, to 35.46 an ounce.

Palladium turned higher, with platinum adding to earlier gains. Platinum has had steep recent gains on the back of a labor strike called at a top mine in South Africa.

Platinum for April delivery PLJ2 ?rose $4.60, or 0.3%, to $1,725.40 an ounce. March palladium PAH2 ! < /span>?rose $1.70, or 0.2%, to $719.45 an ounce.

Wednesday saw platinum?s first settlement above $1,700 since late September. For palladium, a settlement of $717.75 an ounce was its highest in five months.

Best Stocks to Buy - Consumers holding back, especially on cars

Best Stocks to Buy - NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Retail sales rose in January, but were dragged down by an unexpected decline in auto sales, according to government data released Tuesday.
Overall retail sales were up 0.4% compared to December, the Commerce Department reported. That's only half the gain forecast by economists surveyed by Briefing.com.
The biggest problem was a 1.1% decline in auto sales in the government report. Excluding auto sales, retail sales rose 0.7% in the latest report.
"January's retail sales data are better than they look, but they don't suggest that consumption growth is about to set the economic recovery alight," said Paul Dale, senior U.S. economist for Capital Economics.
The drop in auto sales caught many experts by surprise because automakers reported their best monthly U.S. sales since the spike that occurred during the "Cash for Clunkers" program in 2009.
But much of the gain in reported auto sales was due to a big jump in January fleet sales to business, such as rental car companies. Those sales do not get included in the retail sales reading.
Economists said the sales excluding autos actually came in a bit better than expected, despite the weaker-than-hoped headline reading.

Gift cards: Most popular holiday gift

Best Stocks to Buy - "To write this off as a weak report is a mistake," said Carl Riccadonna, senior U.S. economist at Deutsche Bank. He pointed out that most categories other than autos, furniture, health care products and nonstore retailers, primarily the online shopping, posted gains.
Part of what drove higher spending was an increase in gasoline prices, which lifted money spent at gas stations by 1.4%.
But there was also an increase in spending at general merchandise retailers, which includes department stores. Those sales rose 2% compared to December.
"All the post-holiday markdowns and gift cards received during the holidays worked their magic. They brought people into the stores," said Li! bby Bier man, analyst at Sageworks.
Sales at food stores climbed 1.3%. Riccadonna said that like the increased spending at gas stations, part of rise at supermarket checkouts was due to rising prices. But unlike the gas station rise, food prices accounted for only part of that gain.
"Whether it's buying more food or better cuts of meat, we can't say. But they're buying more, as they are in other categories," he said.
The report revised December data lower, suggesting an even weaker holiday shopping season than previously reported. Overall spending was revised down to essentially no gain after a 0.1% increase in the initial report last month, and there is now a 0.5% drop in spending excluding autos.
Economists had been hopeful that Best Stocks to Buy - consumers would start spending again, as recent jobs reports showed a pick-up in hiring and a decline in unemployment. But consumers seem to be keeping spending in check, despite having more money in the their wallets.

Best Stocks To Buy Right Now - Energy stocks took a back seat in recent rally

I bet you want to know the answer to this question: If global stock markets do continue to bounce over the next 74 days until the end of the year, which stocks and ETFs would benefit?
We already have a lot of the positions that should benefit: Markets in southeast Asia, Asia Minor and South America, as well as gold and gold miners. However there could be a group of companies that start to gain ground: Ones that have been weak until now, and have rebound potential.

Best Stocks To Buy Right Now - Michael Belkin, an influential equity and credit researcher based on Bainbridge Island who has made countless great calls over the years — including a famous forecast of the collapse of the Japanese markets back at the end of 1989 when they were at their peak — says he says it is time to go back to Investing 101 and buy low.
His top picks include “frontier markets” such as Egypt, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf and Africa. “Since most managers haven’t figured out that these markets exist or how to invest in them, opportunities still exist for intrepid early adopters,” he said in a report late last week. “This asset class will probably get glued into emerging markets by capital flows over the next several years. It hasn’t happened yet.
The main fund covering this area is Best Stocks To Buy Right Now - Guggenheim Frontier Markets (FRN), though it is dominated by Chilean and Colombian stocks, which we already own. Going farther afield is Best Stocks To Buy Right Now - Market Vectors Africa (AFK). I don’t like this fund, however, because of its very low trading volume and the fact that it largely just tracks the price of crude oil, since energy exploration and production is the largest source of wealth in emerging Africa.

Best Stocks To Buy Right Now - MV Egypt (EGPT) is kind of interesting, but it’s mostly a cotton and finance story and the fund is again very lightly traded.Best Stocks To Buy Right Now - MV Vietnam (V NM) is more compelling as it is an emerging manufacturing hub as factory managers keep seeking cheaper labor for the sort of low-level finished goods that China first cut its teeth on.
Over on the Continent , the two main funds focused on this idea?would be SPDR S&P Emerging Europe (GUR), which has decent volume, and?iShares Emerging Eastern Europe (ESR), which has very light volume. There’s also a single country fund that looks very attractive from a valuation and business momentum perspective:?Market Vector Poland (PLND). The Polish economy is one of the most robust in Europe, with stronger than expected banking and manufacturing sectors.
Most commodities have been on a tear, with grains up +40% and gold up a ton in recent months. But one commodity group that has almost been forgotten, and is still cheap, is the most fundamental: energy. Belkin says his model has a fresh upward forecast for the prices of all carbon products — crude oil, gasoline and heating oil — as well as ethanol and sugar. A rotation to this area is likely.
The same could be said for energy stocks, which have taken a backseat in the recent rally. Belkin’s model favors higher-beta medium- and small-sized energy companies in the United States and Europe. Large-cap energy producers of all stripes are in the fund?SPDR Energy Select (XLE), while smaller energy companies are in?SPDR Oil Services (XES) and?SPDR Exploration (XOP).
Just smaller companies are in the new, lightly traded?PowerShares S&P Smallcap Energy (XLES). And a way to mix energy and emerging markets is through?MarketVectors Russia (RSX), which is largely driven by that country’s large energy companies.
Other buy-low sectors for Belkin with outperform prospects are in tech, heavy industry and discretionary or retail. Everyone knows that Apple! (NASDAQ: AAPL) and now Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) are up, but much of tech has been left behind. Some top rally prospects well below their all-time highs include?Western Digital (NYSE: WDC),?Alcatel Lucent (NYSE: ALU),?Ciena (NASDAQ: CIEN),?Micron (NASDAQ: MU),?LSI (NYSE: LSI) and?Applied Materials Best Stocks To Buy Right Now - (NASDAQ: AMAT).
Industrial stocks that his model considers undervalued are?Jacobs Engineering (NYSE: JEC),Best Stocks To Buy Right Now - Masco (NYSE: MAS),?Textron (NYSE: TXT) and?Mantiwoc (NYSE: MTW). The fundamental outlook for these companies is not great, but as Belkin notes, “that is how value stocks always look” before they turn higher at inflection points like this month promises to be. The overall view for a recovery rally is for a bottom-fishing expedition to emerge in depressed stocks and sectors.
For more ideas along these lines, please check out my daily Trader’s Advantage and Strategic Advantage newsletters.

Stocks to Buy 2012 - Best Stock Picks 2012

elow is a list of my latest stock picks for 2012. These 2012 Stock Picks are my favorite stocks to buy and some of the stocks I will be trading personally. Last year, one of my top stock picks was Best Stock Picks 2012 Apple (AAPL) which I recommended at $330 per share. Apple stock recently hit $400 per share. Another one of my hot stocks to buy in 2011 was Hyperdynamics (HDY). HDY stock provided a huge gain in January and several more good rallies.

I feel 2012 will be a sideways year for stocks and the overall stock market. As you know, 2012 is an election year. Stocks could get volatile late in the year as investors position their portfolios accordingly. Check out my 2012 best stocks to buy list below.

Latest 2012 Stock Picks


Top Stock Gainers - 2012
#1 Top Stock Pick 2012 - ( Small Cap Stocks ) - Direxion Daily Small Cap Bull 3X Shares (TNA) - Direxion Daily Small Cap Bull 3X Shares (TNA) is my top stock pick for 2012. As we head into December 2011, I am fine tuning my stocks to buy given the fluid conditions we are seeing with the overall stock market and Europe. TNA is one of the most volatile ETF's you can buy but it is a play on the direction of the stock market. TNA is currently trading around $33.50, down $13 per share in just six trading days as Wall St. stresses out about the problems in Europe. Earnings here in the U.S have been strong and some can argue that the jitters we are seeing are just fluff. However, as we head into 2012, we are seeing some great stocks to buy and TNA falls into that category. I feel TNA can rally back to $48-$50 at some point in 2012 with the chance to go to $60. TNA will be my top stock to trade in 2012 given It's volatility. TNA has huge swings almost daily so you can trade it all day long. And, if you want to go short the market, try Direxion Daily Small Cap Bear 3X Shares (TZA). However, TZA is not a good long term stock to buy.

What is Direxion Daily Small Cap Bull 3X Shares (TNA)? The investment seeks daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 300% of the price performance of the Russell 2000® Index. The fund will invest at least 80% of assets in securities that comprise the index. It will also utilize financial instruments that, in combination, provide leveraged and unleveraged exposure to the index. The fund is non-diversified. TNA fund holds a basket of stocks and bonds with the highest percentage being technology, industrials, financials, and healthcare.
If the stock market crashes, TNA will get crushed. However, I am predictiing the S&P 500 to return to 1250-1300 at some point in 2012 so TNA will be a 35-45% gainer from here. Not a bad return on your money!

Stocks to Buy 2012 - ( Technology - Mobile Phone Stocks ) - Stocks to Buy 2012 - Apple Inc. (AAPL) - Apple Inc. (AAPL) is my top large cap stock pick in 2012. The iPad 3 in expected to launch early 2012 and the iPhone 5 will hopefully arrive at the end of 2012. The passing of Steve Jobs and a key earnings miss has caused AAPL stock to sell off back into the low $360's. AAPL hit a high of $424 in late 2011. I am giving AAPL a $450 price target in 2012 which represents a 25% gain from the current stock price. AAPL will be a monster stock in 2012 as iPhones and iPads sell like crazy. There is even talk of an iTV device coming in late 2012 or early 2013. With the current stock price around $360, you can't go wrong buying AAPL stock today!

#3 Best Stock Pick 2012 - ( Rare Earth Stocks - Metals ) - MolyCorp (MCP) - MolyCorp (MCP) stock recently dropped to $26 so I decided to add this stock to my Top 2012 Stocks to Buy list. Molycorp (MCP) is by far very risky but has been thrown out with the bath water. Rare Earth stocks are out of favor right now due to the huge drops in mineral prices. However, the Mountain Pass mine will come online by mid 2012 which will allow Molycorp to start earning big money. Look for rare earth prices to stablize in early 2012 and this stock to start going back up. This is by far my boldest stock pick of 2012 and if I am right, MCP will again see $40-$45 at some point during the year.

Best Stocks For 2012 - Are Flagstar Bancorp (FBC) & Pacific Sunwear of California (PSUN) Really Top Rebound Candidates?

A lot of small cap stocks are starting to perk up, but none look quite as inviting as Best Stocks For 2012 - Flagstar Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE:FBC) and Best Stocks For 2012 - Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc. (NASDAQ:PSUN) do right now. But, are these charts to be taken at face value? Though it's the perceived value of FBC and PSUN that should be guiding these charts, the fact is, it's the shape of the charts that may be guiding investors to a "half full" conclusion in the half-empty/half-full debate. Take a look.

For Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc., the rally's been underway since December, but didn't get really juicy until this week when PSUN moved above its 200-day moving average line (green) for the first time since early 2011. That being said, it's worth noting that (1) the buyers barely even flinched when the 200-day line was approached, and (2) the buying volume actually increased as PSUN was plowing through that key long-term average. As for the underlying reason though, a couple of quarters' worth of rising top line and shrinking losses may get a big chunk of the credit.

Yes, PSUN is still losing money. There's a light at the end of the tunnel though. The $905 million revenue the company has booked over the past four quarters stops the bleeding revenue trend, and odds are good that 2012's expected sales figure of $889.7 million is simply too low given the unfurling - even if slow-moving - improvement trend. The pros are still thinking Pacific Sunwear of California will 'only' lose $0.78 per share in 2012, but that's actually progress... and sometimes progress is enough to get a stock going again. That's what's happening here anyway, and speculators may want to jump on board this technical strength.

Just to put this bullish reversal from Pacific Sunwear, check out! this we ekly chart.

As for Best Stocks For 2012 - Flagstar Bancorp, Inc., this chart doesn't look as compelling with just a quick glance, but there's a lot more going on with this small cap S&L stock than you might think.

For starters, FBC has finally - legitimately - stopped its own bleeding by using support at the $0.46 level (orange). That pause bought the bulls enough time to muster a rebound effort that has gotten traction... enough traction to push Flagstar Bancorp shares above all the key short-term moving averages, and even muster a few bullish crosses of those moving averages.

The final step in this recovery process for FBC will be a move above the 200-day moving average line (green) at $0.81, but that attack is already underway.

Like Pacific Sunwear of California, this rally from Flagstar Bancorp, Inc. is entirely stemming from a case of "the worst is over", and there are no profits to speak of yet. There are some projected for the near future though. While turning a $0.06 per-share loss into a $0.02 per-share profit isn't going to change the world, it's enough to set up some trade-worthy movement right now.

Best Stocks to buy Now - Asia investors watching for China price data

Best Stocks to buy Now - SYDNEY (MarketWatch) ? Asian investors will be waiting for Chinese consumer price data in the week ahead to gauge the likelihood of more monetary policy easing from Beijing.

Economists widely expect the data, due Thursday, to show Chinese consumer prices moderated to grow at around 4% in January on an annual basis. That would represent an easing from the 4.1% growth recorded in December.

Consumer-price inflation cooled in December, compared to November, and investors are likely hoping for a further decline in consumer prices in order to clear the way for further loosening in Chinese monetary policy to support economic growth.

Concerns about the health of the Chinese economy linger, with last week?s manufacturing survey data from China showing a slight improvement but also indicating that the sector remains sluggish.

The inflation numbers will be followed by Chinese trade data on Friday.

The health of the Chinese economy is of particular interest to Australia?s policy makers, given that China imports an outsized proportion of Australian commodities.

The Reserve Bank of Australia?s interest-rate-setting committee is set to announce a decision on interest rates early next week, and many economists expect another quarter-point interest rate cut from the central bank at its first meeting of the year.

The RBA?s key cash rate currently stands at 4.25%, having been cut twice in quick succession at the end of last year after developments in Europe unsettled global markets.

Elsewhere on the Asian economic calendar, the Bank of Korea will also announce a policy decision, while Indian industrial-produc! tion dat a, and Japanese machinery orders and balance-of-payments data are also due.

On the corporate front, Japanese car giant Toyota Motor Corp. JP:7203 ?TM ?is slated to announce fiscal third-quarter results on Tuesday, while Nissan Motor Co. JP:7201 ? NSANY ?is due to report quarterly results the next day.

Analysts are expecting Best Stocks to buy Now - Toyota to report an attributable net profit of 67.5 billion yen (886 million) for the quarter, from ?93.63 billion in the year-ago quarter, on revenue of ?4.892 trillion, compared to ?4.673 trillion, according to consensus data compiled by Thomson Reuters.

Back in November, when it announced second-quarter results, Toyota said that its operating income took a hit from currency fluctuations and that Japanese and North American sales dropped sharply due to the earthquake that devastated Japan early last year.

Best Stocks to buy Now - Nissan is expected to report a net profit of ?68.60 billion, down from ?80.07 billion last year, according to data compiled by Thomson Reuters.

Top Stocks To Invest In - Has American Capital Agency Become the Perfect Stock?

Every investor would love to stumble upon the perfect stock. But will you ever really find a stock that provides everything you could possibly want?
One thing's for sure: You'll never discover truly great investments unless you actively look for them. Let's discuss the ideal qualities of a perfect stock, then decide if Top Stocks To Invest In -American Capital Agency (Nasdaq: AGNC  ) fits the bill.
The quest for perfection
Stocks that look great based on one factor may prove horrible elsewhere, making due diligence a crucial part of your investing research. The best stocks excel in many different areas, including these important factors:

• Growth. Expanding businesses show healthy revenue growth. While past growth is no guarantee that revenue will keep rising, it's certainly a better sign than a stagnant top line.
• Margins. Higher sales mean nothing if a company can't produce profits from them. Strong margins ensure that company can turn revenue into profit.
• Balance sheet. At debt-laden companies, banks and bondholders compete with shareholders for management's attention. Companies with strong balance sheets don't have to worry about the distraction of debt.
• Money-making opportunities. Return on equity helps measure how well a company is finding opportunities to turn its resources into profitable business endeavors.
• Valuation. You can't afford to pay too much for even the best companies. By using normalized figures, you can see how a stock's simple earnings multiple fits into a longer-term context.
• Dividends. For tangible proof of profits, a check to shareholders every three months can't be beat. Companies with solid dividends and strong commitments to increasing payouts treat shareholders well.

With those factors in mind, let's take a closer look at American! Capital Agency.

Factor	What We Want to See	Actual	Pass or Fail?
Growth	5-Year Annual Revenue Growth > 15%	129.4%*	Pass
?	1-Year Revenue Growth > 12%	176.7%	Pass
Margins	Gross Margin > 35%	100%	Pass
?	Net Margin > 15%	90.6%	Pass
Balance Sheet	Debt to Equity < 50%	796.7%	Fail
?	Current Ratio > 1.3	0.06	Fail
Opportunities	Return on Equity > 15%	19.8%	Pass
Valuation	Normalized P/E < 20	9.66	Pass
Dividends	Current Yield > 2%	16.4%	Pass
?	5-Year Dividend Growth > 10%	9.2%*	Fail
?	?	?	?
?	Total Score	?	7 out of 10

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Total score = number of passes. *Three-year growth rates.

Since we looked at American Capital Agency last year, the mortgage REIT has dropped a point. Dividend growth has slowed and recently even reversed course, which could be a sign of things to come for the company.
Investors have gravitated to mortgage REITs for their outsized dividends. With bonds yielding next to nothing, the double-dig! it yield s that American Capital Agency and its peers offer look exceptionally attractive.
But recently, changing trends are threatening those dividends. In its most recent quarter, American Capital Agency reported lower earnings per share due to a big jump in outstanding shares, and more importantly cut its dividend from $1.40 per share to $1.25 for the first quarter of 2012. The company's interest rate spread fell below 2%, prompting further concerns.
The challenges aren't unique to American Capital Agency. Top Stocks To Invest In -Annaly Capital (NYSE: NLY  ) saw similar drops in interest rate spreads, prompting its own dividend cut. Moreover, Annaly and Top Stocks To Invest In -Chimera Investment (NYSE: CIM  ) have started to clamp down on their leverage ratios, which helps make them less sensitive to adverse conditions going forward (but comes at the expense of some profits). Additionally, with new initiatives to help underwater homeowners refinance, prepayment rates could also hurt.
Given its leverage, American Capital Agency is as close to perfection as it's likely going to get. If conditions continue to worsen, though, the company could deteriorate further in the years ahead.
Keep searching
No stock is a sure thing, but some stocks are a lot closer to perfect than others. By looking for the perfect stock, you'll go a long way toward improving your investing prowess and learning how to separate out the best investments from the rest.
American Capital Agency has plenty of promise, but we've got some ideas you may like even better. Let me invite you to learn about three smart long-term stock plays in the Fool's latest special report. It's yours for the taking and is absolutely free, but don't miss out -- click here and read it today.
Click here to add American Capital Agency to My Watchlist, which can find all of our Foolish analysis on it and all your other stocks.

2012 Best Dividend Stocks To Buy

How is a prudent, conscientious person supposed to retire these days? The mutual fund industry tells you to invest in their low-dividend (or no-dividend) funds and hope the capital gains will be enough to carry you through. As we’ve seen in the past decade, though, the gains don’t always materialize when you need them. What then?High-dividend stocks. Rather than buying an index fund yielding only 1.8%, you should choose carefully among high-dividend stocks. And while there are dividend stocks on our own shores that may fit the bill, investors who are willing to look beyond our borders can find generous yields with greater growth potential.Here are top global dividend stocks to buy:

2012 Best Dividend Stocks To Buy: Mosaic Company (The) (MOS)

The Mosaic Company engages in the production and marketing of concentrated phosphate- and potash-based crop nutrients for the agriculture industry worldwide. The company also offers phosphate-based animal feed ingredients; and produces and sells potash for use as fertilizers and animal feed ingredients, as well as for use in industrial applications. Its potash products are also used for de-icing and as a water softener regenerant. The company?s distribution facilities include sales offices, port terminals, crop nutrient blending and bagging facilities, and warehouses. It sells its products primarily to wholesale distributors, retail chains, cooperatives, independent retailers, and national accounts. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Plymouth, Minnesota. As of May 25, 2011, The Mosaic Company operates independently of Cargill, Incorporated.Advisors’ Opinion:

• Seeking Alpha2011-9-7Mosaic (MOS) potash production capacity has grown 10% since 2006 and is expected to increase another 60% between now and 2020. And as it rises, the company’s stock seems likely to follow. Currently yielding: 0.3%
  

  2012 Best Dividend Stocks To Buy: Eaton Corporation (ETN)

  Eaton Corporation operates as a power management company worldwide. It provides electrical components and systems for power quality, distribution, and control; hydraulics components, systems, and services for industrial and mobile equipment; aerospace fuel, hydraulics, and pneumatic systems for commercial and military use; and truck and automotive drivetrain, and powertrain systems for performance, fuel economy, and safety. The company also manufactures screw-in cartridge valves, custom-engineered hydraulic valves, and manifold systems; and electrical and electromechanical systems. In addition, it designs, manufactures, and distributes intake and exhaust valves for diesel and gasoline engines; supplies electrical components for commercial and residential building applications and industrial controls for industrial equipment applications; and manufactures human machine interfaces, programmable logic controllers, and input/output devices. Further, the company also operates as a provider of customized enclosures, rack systems, and air-flow management systems to store, power, and secure mission-critical IT data center electronics; and manufacturer, distributor, and service provider of single-phase and three-phase uninterruptible power supply systems. Eaton Corporation was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.Advisors’ Opinion:
• Curtis Hesler2011-9-28Eaton Corporation (NYSE:ETN): Down 0.23% to $34.73. Eaton Corporation manufactures engineered products which serve industrial, vehicle, construction, commercial, and aerospace markets. The Company’s principal products include hydraulic products and fluid connectors, electrical power distribution and control equipment, truck drivetrain systems, engine components, and a wide variety of controls.

Top 100 Dividend Stocks to Invest in 2012

In the light of the big news about the death of Osama Bin Laden, it should be an interesting on the world markets.  That being said, no matter what happens, I think it’s fair to say that you should not let your future financial independence depend on world events such as this one. That is one reason why this monthly post is always so popular as it represents a good first step to build and improve your passive income portfolio in what could be the difference between an early & enjoyable retirement and a very late retirement where you depend on your former employer or the government to determine the level of your life. So today we resume our monthly tradition of looking at the top 100 dividend stocks in the broad based S&P500 index.
What to look for
Over the past few months, we have looked at quite a few criteria that have helped us find the best dividend stocks including current yield, dividend growth and also companies that produce solid enough earnings to keep up the dividend payments. We summed it all up when we discussed the 20 things that we look for in dividend stocks.
FTR remains once more at the top of our list although it continues to pay out much more than what it makes making its 9% dividend yield unsustainable for now.  We did review FTR in the mailing list a few months and did determine it was not a great dividend stock. Both the #2 and #3 positions are also telephone/telecom stocks. Once again, later this week, we will be focused on growth stocks as those seem to be the key to a long term dividend portfolio.
Hopefully this will help you when building your passive dividend porrtfolio.

We will be filtering out the top 100 list to find the ones that fit all of these criteria! In the meantime, here is the list!

Ticker	Name	Price	Dividend Yield	Payout Ratio	Ex-Date

FTR Frontier Communications Corp 8.27 9.07 346.75 6/7/2012 WIN Windstream Corp 12.81 7.81 150.63 6/28/2012 CTL CenturyLink Inc 40.78 7.11 92.65 6/6/2012 PBI Pitney Bowes Inc 24.56 6.03 97.09 5/11/2012 RAI Reynolds American Inc 37.11 5.71 81.34 6/8/2012 MO Altria Group Inc 26.84 5.66 77.98 6/13/2012 POM Pepco Holdings Inc 19.27 5.6 173.38 6/8/2012 T AT&T Inc 31.12 5.53 52.32 7/8/2012 RRD RR Donnelley & Sons Co 18.86 5.51 96.71 8/2/2012 FE FirstEnergy Corp 39.96 5.5 85.46 5/4/2012 HCN Health Care REIT Inc 53.77 5.32 554.64 5/6/2012 LLY Eli Lilly & Co 37.01 5.29 42.75 5/11/2012 DUK Duke Energy Corp 18.65 5.25 97.07 5/18/2012 AEE Ameren Corp 29.31 5.25 264.75 6/6/2012 PGN Progress Energy Inc 47.45 5.23 83.83 7/8/2012 TEG Integrys Energy Group Inc 52.36 5.2 94.56 5/25/2012 VZ Verizon Communications Inc 37.78 5.16 213.72 7/6/2012 PPL PPL Corp 27.43 5.1 63.35 6/8/2012 CINF Cincinnati Financial Corp 31.68 5.05 68.7 6/20/2012 AEP American Electric Power Co Inc 36.48 5.04 68.04 5/6/2012 EXC Exelon Corp 42.15 4.98 54.31 5/11/2012 LO Lorillard Inc 106.5 4.88 62.68 5/26/2012 HCP HCP Inc 39.62 4.85 198.62 5/5/2012 PNW Pinnacle West Capital Corp 43.39 4.84 67.88 7/29/2012 SO Southern Co 39.04 4.84 75.75 8/4/2012 ETR Entergy Corp 69.72 4.76 48.31 5/10/2012 NI NiSource Inc 19.45 4.73 86.8 7/27/2012 BMY Bristol-Myers Squibb Co 28.1 4.7 71.24 6/29/2012 SCG SCANA Corp 41.52 4.67 63.56 6/8/2012 ED Consolidated Edison Inc 52.12 4.61 68.15 5/16/2012 PBCT People’s United Financial Inc 13.69 4.6 254.49 7/29/2012 DTE DTE Energy Co 50.53 4.43 58.25 6/16/2012 TE TECO Energy Inc 19.27 4.26 73.1 5/11/2012 PEG Public Service Enterprise Group Inc 32.17 4.26 44.51 6/7/2012 CNP CenterPoint Energy Inc 18.6 4.25 72.35 5/12/2012 D Dominion Resources Inc/VA 46.42 4.24 36.37 5/25/2012 CMS CMS Energy Corp 19.8 4.24 43.38 5/4/2012 KMB Kimberly-Clark Corp 66.06 4.24 58.87 6/8/2012 MRK Merck & Co Inc 35.95 4.23 549.36 6/15/2012 XEL Xcel Energy Inc 24.33 4.15 61.8 6/21/2012 VTR Ventas Inc 55.93 4.11 153.91 6/8/2012 LEG Leggett & Platt Inc 26.29 4.1 87.94 6/13/2012 PCG PG&E Corp 46.08 3.95 60.24 6/28/2012 PCL Plum Creek Timber Co Inc 43.09 3.9 134.65 5/11/2012 NEE NextEra Energy Inc 56.57 3.89 41.93 6/1/2012 PFE Pfizer Inc 20.96 3.82 72.18 5/11/2012 PAYX Paychex Inc 32.71 3.79 93.94 7/28/2012 LMT Lockheed Martin Corp 79.25 3.79 36.64 5/27/2012 CAG ConAgra Foods Inc 24.45 3.76 46.82 7/27/2012 FII Federated Investors Inc 25.78 3.73 127.68 5/4/2012 PM Philip Morris International Inc 69.44 3.69 61.77 6/21/2012 KIM Kimco Realty Corp 19.54 3.69 361.29 6/29/2012 ABT Abbott Laboratories 52.04 3.69 59.05 7/15/2012 SYY Sysco Corp 28.91 3.6 49.64 6/29/2012 SE Spectra Energy Corp 29.04 3.58 62.32 5/11/2012 RTN Raytheon Co 48.55 3.54 30.6 7/6/2012 HNZ HJ Heinz Co 51.23 3.51 58.04 6/21/2012 SRE Sempra Energy 55.1 3.49 51.56 6/14/2012 HRB H&R Block Inc 17.29 3.47 41.09 6/7/2012 JNJ Johnson & Johnson 65.72 3.47 43.54 5/26/2012 WM Waste Management Inc 39.46 3.45 63.38 5/26/2012 KFT Kraft Foods Inc 33.58 3.45 81.98 6/27/2012 CPB Campbell Soup Co 33.59 3.45 44.08 6/30/2012 MAT Mattel Inc 26.72 3.44 42.53 5/23/2012 IP International Paper Co 30.88 3.4 27.48 5/13/2012 MCHP Microchip Technology Inc 41.04 3.36 115 5/17/2012 GAS Nicor Inc 55.43 3.36 61.42 6/28/2012 HCBK Hudson City Bancorp Inc 9.53 3.36 55.05 5/3/2012 COP ConocoPhillips 78.93 3.35 27.95 5/19/2012 GPC Genuine Parts Co 53.7 3.35 54.45 6/8/2012 WEC Wisconsin Energy Corp 31.21 3.33 41.15 5/11/2012 EIX Edison International 39.27 3.26 32.91 6/28/2012 PG Procter & Gamble Co/The 64.9 3.24 48.84 7/20/2012 MTB M&T Bank Corp 88.37 3.17 48.21 5/26/2012 CLX Clorox Co 69.66 3.16 48.09 7/26/2012 NOC Northrop Grumman Corp 63.61 3.14 26.74 5/26/2012 AVP Avon Products Inc 29.38 3.13 63.71 5/18/2012 INTC Intel Corp 23.19 3.13 30.56 5/4/2012 MCD McDonald’s Corp 78.31 3.12 48.68 5/26/2012 SVU SUPERVALU Inc 11.26 3.11 N/A 5/27/2012 NUE Nucor Corp 46.96 3.09 339.9 6/28/2012 NU Northeast Utilities 35.6 3.09 46.84 5/27/2012 BMS Bemis Co Inc 31.34 3.06 50.66 5/18/2012 K Kellogg Co 57.27 3 46.83 5/27/2012 NYX NYSE Euronext 40.05 3 43.85 6/14/2012 OKE Oneok Inc 69.94 2.98 57.84 7/27/2012 MWV MeadWestvaco Corp 33.69 2.97 61.83 7/28/2012 GE General Electric Co 20.45 2.93 42.29 6/16/2012 GIS General Mills Inc 38.58 2.9 42.06 7/7/2012 DD EI du Pont de Nemours & Co 56.79 2.89 49.75 5/11/2012 VNO Vornado Realty Trust 96.68 2.86 77.37 5/5/2012 CVX Chevron Corp 109.44 2.85 29.81 5/17/2012 AVB AvalonBay Communities Inc 126.61 2.82 304.59 6/28/2012 BLK BlackRock Inc 195.94 2.81 37.62 6/3/2012 SPG Simon Property Group Inc 114.54 2.8 123.98 5/13/2012 PEP PepsiCo Inc/NC 68.89 2.79 47.92 6/1/2012 KO Coca-Cola Co/The 67.46 2.79 34.4 6/13/2012 MMC Marsh & McLennan Cos Inc 30.28 2.78 79.67 7/6/2012 UPS United Parcel Service Inc 74.97 2.77 54.73 5/19/2012 PLD ProLogis 16.29 2.76 N/A 5/11/2012

Time To Buy Starbucks Stocks in 2012

Time To Buy Starbucks Stocks in 2012 Starbucks K-cups are helping drive results

Strong early acceptance of Starbucks K-cups will lead to a strong fiscal first quarter performance for the coffee retailer and roaster, according to UBS.? They consider the stock a buy and raised their price target to $52, from $47 previously.
Starbucks has been a solid performer over the last couple of quarters, beating estimates on strong growth across its different business units. The trend will continue in the first quarter, according to UBS, with U.S. same store sales expected to grow 9%.
Among the best performing units, though, has been the fast growing consumer products group.? CPG, as the unit is called, recently released Starbucks brand K-cups, which are single-serve coffee capsules for Green Mountain Coffee?s Keurig brewers.
Strong early acceptance of Time To Buy Starbucks Stocks in 2012 Starbucks K-cups leads UBS? analysts to note ?the future of the high margin CPG division appears bright;? the product has already grabbed about 12% market share in the K-cup space. ?CPG had grown 20% year-over-year last quarter and is set for another strong run, with analysts forecasting 40% growth in fiscal Q1. Along with K-cups, Starbucks? bagged coffee and blonde roast will further drive the unit, which could add more than 10 cents to fiscal 2012 EPS.
The analysts expect 2012 revenues to grow 13% to $13.2 billion.? They have raised their fiscal 2012 and 2013 estimates to $1.89 and $2.40, which constitute 24% and 27% year-over-year growth respectively.
Starbucks remains a top performer in its sector, its stock up 47% over the last twelve months.? That?s better than competitors Dunkin? Brands (down 6% since it went public in late July) and fast food chains McDonald?s and Yum Brands (up 36% and 24% respectively).
On Thursday, shares in Starbucks traded in positive territory, closing the ! day up 1 % or 48 cents to $47.60 in New York.

Best China Stocks 2012 - The Retirement Rule of Thumb

When in doubt, resort to the rule of thumb.
It isn’t the ideal way to make investment choices, but it is, unfortunately, what most people on the verge of retirement do, says Alessandro Previtero, an assistant professor of finance at the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. Previtero’s research has shown that when faced with the choice between a lump sum and an annuity, individuals typically base their decision on stock market returns, and will more often than not opt for a lump sum if stock market returns have been good for the period preceding their retirement.
What’s most worrying for Previtero is that the relationship between stock market returns and annuities grows stronger with age, thereby indicting that older people tend to rely more on rules of thumb to make complicated decisions as they age. This is something, he says, that advisors have to take into account when they’re discussing lump sums versus annuities with their clients.
“If we try to put this into practice, an advisor needs to be very sensitive about stock market performance, and they have to speak openly with their clients about why they’re choosing to invest in equities, whether they’re choosing to do so because it is the right thing to do or because they see that the equity market is coming out of a positive trend,” Previtero says. “It’s very important for advisors to see what’s driving clients to choose lump sum or equities and to understand their underlying behavior. It’s even more important for advisors to pay attention to behavioral biases and potential mistakes that investors may make because if someone has made the wrong decision based on a rule of thumb, it can also mean that the relationship they have with their advisor can potentially sour.”
Granted, annuities are a complex beast, difficult to explain and understand, even in recent years, when there’s been a concerted effort by the retirement finance industry to shed greater light on them and clear them of their tainted past. Annuities experts believe that the evolution of the industry will engender different kinds of products that would allow retirees to take advantage of stock market upside, and that they would be more readily available in retirement plans.
Nevertheless, it is still important for advisors to have the dialog with their clients as to why or why not to choose an annuity, says Jeffrey Brown, William G. Karnes professor in the department of finance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and director of the Center for Business and Public Policy in the College of Business. The conversation, he says, has to begin with what a client wants in their retirement and introducing in that context the idea of guaranteed lifetime income.
Brown and other academics like Julie Agnew, associate professor of economics and finances at the College of William and Mary, have done extensive work in the area of framing, an approach that can perhaps help advisors give better direction to the annuities conversation and enable both themselves and their clients to better understand the reasons why they should or shouldn’t invest in annuities.
Brown conducted a survey in which he first presented annuities as an investment choice, the classic way in which they are almost always presented. He then changed things around by reframing annuities in a consumption-related framework.
“In half the sample, we described the product – which we didn’t name – by using terms like ‘investment’ and ‘returns,’ and in the other scenario, we talked about the amount of income that this product would yield,” Brown says. “In the first context, people thought annuities were inferior and only 20% said the product was a better choice compared to savings account. In the second scenario, though, after simply changing the terms of the discussion to words like ‘consume,’ ‘spend’ and so forth, 70% of the people in the survey preferred the annuity.”
The subtle change in wording, which resulted in people looking at annuities in terms of what they want to consume and spend in retirement, led to a total change in mindset.
“We’re doing more research on consumption-related frameworks because we think that if we take this a little further, we’d be part of a much-needed and fundamental rethinking in how we talk about retirement planning,” Brown says.
Framing the retirement conversationin a consumption-related context also leads onto other very important issues, such as inflation, long-term care, and whatever else people might need to maintain their standard of living. These elements are all part of a different conversation from the one that focuses on maximizing wealth, Brown says, and within that context advisors can help their clients to better see the benefits and downsides of the options they have, including whether to put their money in the stock market or in annuities, and to perhaps go beyond resorting to simple rules of thumb.

Top Stocks For 2012 - China Gerui Advanced Materials Group Limited recently showed an Exceptional Trade - NASDAQ:CHOP

Top Stocks For 2012 - China Gerui Advanced Materials Group Limited (NASDAQ:CHOP) witnessed volume of 1.56 million shares during last trade however it holds an average trading capacity of 170,468.00 shares. Top Stocks For 2012 - CHOP last trade opened at $2.97 reached intraday low of $1.87 and went -11.37% down to close at $2.65.
CHOP has a market capitalization $155.42 million and an enterprise value at $125.46 million. Trailing twelve months price to sales ratio of the stock was 0.63 while price to book ratio in most recent quarter was 0.69. In profitability ratios, net profit margin in past twelve months appeared at 15.00% whereas operating profit margin for the same period at 25.25%.
The company made a return on asset of 11.32% in past twelve months and return on equity of 21.29% for similar period. In the period of trailing 12 months it generated revenue amounted to $276.77 million gaining $5.55 revenue per share. Its year over year, quarterly growth of revenue was 34.40% holding 16.30% quarterly earnings growth.
According to preceding quarter balance sheet results, the company had $204.85 million cash in hand making cash per share at 3.49. The total of $174.89 million debt was there putting a total debt to equity ratio 69.02. Moreover its current ratio according to same quarter results was 1.54 and book value per share was 4.32.
Looking at the trading information, the stock price history displayed that its S&P500 52 Week Change illustrated 8.61% where the stock current price exhibited down beat from its 50 day moving average price of $3.03 and remained below from its 200 Day Moving Average price of $3.86.
CHOP holds 58.65 million outstanding shares with 29.21 million floating shares and institutions kept 5.20%.

Best Stocks For 2012 - Place Your Bid on eBay Stock Now

Best Stocks For 2012 - eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) — This online auctioneer is in reality a global commercial platform that is the largest of its kind. It owns Pay-Pal, Bill Me Later, Gmarket, GSI Commerce, Shopping .com and StubHub.
Its fourth-quarter 2011 earnings were considerably above analysts’ estimates. Currently,11 Wall Streetanalysts have a “strong buy” on Best Stocks For 2012 - EBAY, nine are a “buy,” and 13 are a “hold. There is only one who rates the stock “underperform.”
Yesterday, EBAY confirmed a major breakout through a compound top that has taken a full year to form. Heavy accumulation in the past month helped it flash a “golden cross,” a long-term buy signal. The breakout has a trading target of $41.