Why You Should Buy the Most Hated Sector On the Market

For more than half a decade, few stocks have been more vilified than those from one out-of-favor sector. Even as the market recovered from its 2009 lows, this entire group was left behind. Investors simply wanted nothing to do with these stocks…
However, the first signs of life in this sector are beginning to appear. And I�ve found a unique way for you to play this hidden rally.
I�m talking about the housing sector. Since the housing market peaked more than 5 years ago, few investors have been willing to go anywhere near homebuilders. For years, these stocks have stagnated. Even sector leaders like Toll Brothers (NYSE:TOL) have failed to see their shares recover from 2008 lows.
Negative news surrounding the housing market continues to command front-page coverage. It�s been all too easy for the media to pile onto the countless human interest stories in the most affected regions of the country. Foreclosure horror stories, entire abandoned neighborhoods, and abusive bank practices remain top stories in the financial and mainstream media alike.
On the surface, housing sector data doesn�t look any brighter. The Case-Shiller index � which measures property values in 20 major cities � showed in its most recent data that home prices dropped 3.7% year-over-year.
But beneath the gloom-and-doom, there are several signs that the environment for homebuilders is improving.
Even Case-Shiller index co-creator Karl Case sees the silver lining in the numbers. Case told Bloomberg last month that the seeds of recovery have already been planted because homes are becoming affordable again. Add in record-low interest rates and you have a reason to be hopeful about housing.
According to the AP, builders broke ground on a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 699,000 homes last month. This milestone puts the seasonally adjusted rate at its highest level since October 2008. These glimmers of hope for the housing market have ignited a stealth rally within the sector:!

Homebuilders Index Quietly Outperforms

Am I arguing that the housing market is ready to boom again? Absolutely not.
But when the skies are completely clear for the housing sector (and many experts are predicting at least two years before the market truly regains its footing) the investing opportunities will have passed us by. Right now, I am seeing the bottoming process play out in this sector.
While it would be completely unrealistic to expect anything even close to housing bubble conditions reappearing, I do believe there is opportunity in this space. There�s value to be found in some of these beaten-down homebuilders. Even though conditions will remain far from perfect for some time, many of these stocks could find higher ground now that the monumental bust that buried every single one of these stocks back in 2008 is beginning to wear off…
Mea Culpa: How I Was (Kind of) Wrong About Zynga
Last week, I warned you about the imminent collapse of Zynga Inc. (NASDAQ:ZNGA), the developer of FarmVille and other fad games for Facebook and mobile phones. I suspected that unrealistic expectations would eventually catch up with the stock. But I didn�t expect that to happen right away.
In fact, I wrote that the stock would probably trade even higher before any hint of a correction:
�Unfortunately, countless eager investors will probably get sucked into this stock before it crumbles,� I wrote just one week ago. �It will begin next week when Zynga will announce fantastic earnings. The company will beat estimates, predict incredible growth and win over plenty of new followers.�
That�s not exactly how it played out…
Yesterday, Zynga announced fourth quarter earnings! that se nt speculators packing. The stock lost nearly 18% of its value by the end of the day. Lower earnings and skyrocketing expenses helped spur the selling.
Needless to say, I was surprised that Zynga couldn�t put together a decent-looking quarter. Even more alarming are the huge research costs that are contributing to the company�s rising expenses. It�s clear that Zynga is going all-in when it comes to developing new games. Of course, there�s still no guarantee that those millions spent on game development will translate to long-term profits. I still recommend avoiding this stock.

Taxpayers Still Owed $132.9 Billion from Bailout

According to a government watchdog, U.S. taxpayers are still owed $132.9 billion from companies haven't repaid from the financial bailout. Some of which will never be recovered...

The acting special inspector general for the $700 billion bailout, Christy Romero, as that the bailout launched at the height of the financial crisis in 2008 will continue to exist for years.

From the AP,

Some bailout programs, such as the effort to help homeowners avoid foreclosure by reducing mortgage payments, will last as late as 2017, costing the government an additional $51 billion or so.

The gyrating stock market has slowed the Treasury Department's efforts to sell off its stakes in 458 bailed-out companies, the report says. They include insurer American International Group Inc. (AIG), General Motors Co. (GM) and Ally Financial Inc.

If the Treasury plans to sell its stock in the three companies at or above the price where taxpayers would break even on their investment, it could take an incredibly long time for the market to even rebound to that level. Shares for AIG closed on Wednesday at $25.31, which is more than $3 less than the break even point for taxpayers, while GM ended at $24.92, while needing to hit the $53.98-a-share break even point. Ally isn't publicly traded.

The government has unwound its investments in the companies that received the most aid: Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc., Chrysler Group LLC and Chrysler Financial.

$413.4 billion was paid out from the Congress authorized $700 billion for the bailout, also known as Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP. So far the government has recovered only $318 billion.

&ldqu! o;TARP i s not over,” Romero said in a statement. She said that her office will continue to protect taxpayers for the duration of the program.