lucas20's blog

Join the International Stocks only contest starting on April 9 and running through the end of the year. Can you manage a winning portfolio of international stocks in this market environment? Join through June 1.

I have launched a simple website to help people browse for different ETFs based on a variety of categories. Check it out at Instant ETF

Tomorrow, the U.S. Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service (MMS) Gulf of Mexico Region will hold a oil and gas lease sale. In preparation for the sale, 1,115 bids were received from 83 companies. The bids will be made public in a reading tomorrow, after which, the sales will be completed. Never seen a sale? Well, you're in luck, the sale is streamed live over the internet beginning at 9am tomorrow morning.

I just caught the new Google Finance Stock Screener. Nothing earth shattering, but a necessary tool to add to the Google Finance experience. The slide bars are pretty cool as they also show the number of stocks for each measurement along the bar.

I posted some of my thoughts on Green Mountain and McDonald's over at my Five Percent Stocks blog.

I have added this to the Help section and to the Short ticket.

When you are short any position, you must have enough CASH BALANCE in your account at the end of the day to keep that short position open. If your deficit on the short position falls below your cash balance, your position will be covered.

For example:
Day 1: Open SHORT 1 position for XYZ company at $10, leaves me with balance of $5.

Now trading on the NYSE Euronext (NYSE NYX) are five new ETFs (ETNs) to trade currencies just like you would a stock. The new issues are:

1) AUD/USD Exchange Rate ETN (NYSE: ADE) tracks the Australian Dollar
2) CAD/USD Exchange Rate ETN (NYSE: CUD) tracks the Canadian Dollar
3) CHF/USD Exchange Rate ETN (NYSE: SZE) tracks the Swiss Franc
4) EUR/USD Exchange Rate ETN (NYSE: ERE) tracks the Euro.
5) GBP/USD Exchange Rate ETN (NYSE: EGB) tracks the British Pound

Bloomberg put out a story on Friday that Vietnam will be sharply cutting its coal exports and may eventually end exports of the energy resource entirely. This will first and foremost hit some of the local Chinese power companies, who have relied on Vietnamese coal to fuel their plants. Asian coal prices were up nearly 10% in Asia on this and other supply shortage news.

Who's in:
Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), Chevron (NYSE: CVX)

Who's out:
Honeywell (NYSE: HON), Altria (NYSE: MO)

Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) has published notes on the following this morning:

- SPX likely to fall 10% "until EPS forecasts reflect recessionary backdrop

- Expect another banner year from fertilizers and biotech seed companies (MON, POT, DD, MOS)

- Pullback in energy is a buying opportunity. Keeping $95/bbl WTI forecast

- Firm is being more "constructive" on restaurants, looking at casual diners

- Brazilian banks coverage initiated with "Attractive" view

- Improved risk/reward on integrated oil and refining companies

- Hardware (tech) risks ahead will trump January success